ExxonMobil and National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa Launch Jr. NBA League in Angola

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Former NBA (www.NBA.com) Player Muggsy Bogues Attends Launch Event in Luanda; Program to Reach 10,000 Youth Participants This Year Through; Jr. NBA Clinics and STEM Programs.

ExxonMobil and NBA Africa today announced the launch of a new Jr. NBA league in Luanda, Angola operated by PanAfricare, a non-profit organization that seeks to improve the health, education and productivity of African communities. The new league, which features 40 boys’ and girls’ teams for youth ages 16 and under, tipped off its inaugural season on Friday, May 17, at Escola Nº 2055 Quedas de Kalandula with former NBA player Muggsy Bogues in attendance. 

The league, which will reach more than 10,000 youth participants this year through basketball clinics, competitions and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) sessions and culminate with the playoffs and finals in September, will also feature all-girls basketball clinics as part of the NBA’s Her Time to Play initiative, which provides opportunities for girls and women to play basketball and pursue careers in coaching and athletic leadership.   

“ExxonMobil is very proud to work with NBA Africa to leverage the sport of basketball and develop the youth in Angola,” said ExxonMobil Angola Lead Country Manager Katrina Fisher. “Together we will not only grow the game, but will also support personal development of our youth. Just as in STEM fields, where experimentation and collaboration are key, sports teach young individuals the value of perseverance and working together towards a common goal.”

“Launching a new Jr. NBA league in Angola, where there is a strong tradition and affinity for basketball, will provide more opportunities for Angolan youth to learn and play the game,” said NBA Africa Head of Basketball Operations Franck Traore. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with ExxonMobil and using the game to teach important life skills that have application on the court and in life.”

“The youth are pivotal to Africa’s growth and hold the potential to lead and solve an array of socioeconomic challenges limiting sustainable development in their communities,” said PanAfricare Director of Programs Rachel Ochako. “We are honored to be collaborating with ExxonMobil and NBA Africa to provide a platform for the youth to strengthen their leadership skills and use the game of basketball to further develop their interest in and knowledge of STEM.”

The launch of the Jr. NBA League in Angola follows ExxonMobil and NBA Africa’s launch of a Jr. NBA league in Maputo, Mozambique last month.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

Contacts:
Katia Mariano
ExxonMobil Angola Communications
katia.mariano@exxonmobil.com
+244 922 613 814

Vanusa Manuel
ExxonMobil Angola Communications
vanusa.f.manuel@exxonmobil.com
+244 922 613 814

Chumani Bambani
NBA Africa Communications
cbambani@nba.com
+27 65 548 1031

Elsa Mbumba
PanAfricare Communications
elsaeduarda8@hotmail.com
+244 928 575 611

About ExxonMobil:
ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international oil and gas companies, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. 

The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of the Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The Foundation engages in a range of philanthropic initiatives in areas where the company operates around the world, with a strategic focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

ExxonMobil in Angola also has 18 percent participating interest in Block 17 and 15 percent participating interest in Block 32. Since 2020, ExxonMobil affiliates operate Blocks 30, 44 and 45 in the Namib Basin offshore Angola with 60 percent participating interest in the three blocks.

About NBA Africa:
NBA Africa is an affiliate of the National Basketball Association (NBA), a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), and has opened subsidiary offices in Cairo, Egypt; Dakar, Senegal; Lagos, Nigeria; and Nairobi, Kenya. The NBA has a long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2010. The league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through youth and elite development, social responsibility, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, NBA Stores, the BAL, and more. 

NBA games and programming are available in all 54 African countries, and the NBA has hosted three sold-out exhibition games on the continent since 2015.  The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and NBA Africa, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that tipped off its fourth season in March 2024. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, X and YouTube.

About PanAfricare:
PanAfricare is the future of Africa: development in Africa led by Africans. PanAfricare is a non-profit organization, with its headquarters in Senegal, committed to the fundamental principles of delivering on the promise made by Africare 50 years ago of improving life in Africa. Our core areas of expertise are Health, Agriculture/Food Security and Capacity Strengthening. In 2023, PanAfricare invested over $5 million in diverse projects, benefitting over one million Africans across seven different countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Zimbabwe. PanAfricare strongly believes in youth empowerment for sustainable development in Africa. In the last two years, PanAfricare has engaged youth in diverse ways, among them using sports to build their roles in leadership in health initiatives in their communities, including behavior change communication and building capacity of youth groups in entrepreneurship increase household incomes.

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