ABA Launches North-East Basketball Revival With Coaches’ Training in Yola

Posted : 28 September 2026

Amateur Basketball Academies (ABA) has started a basketball revival initiative in Nigeria’s North-East with a coaches’ development programme in Yola, Adamawa State. ABA President and Founder Aliyu Lucky Abubakar said greater unity among coaches and stakeholders is needed to restore the region’s place as a major source of basketball talent.

The programme focused on giving coaches technical knowledge and practical tools to identify and develop young players. Abubakar said the approach must be scientific, practical and coordinated, including children who do not have direct access to ABA programmes.

Abubakar said Adamawa previously played an important role in Nigerian basketball but has gradually lost ground. He explained that ABA wants to rebuild the talent pathway from grassroots basketball through state-level development and national teams to the international stage.

The former Nigerian basketball player also urged coaches to look beyond technical skills. He said every child on a basketball court has a dream, making early identification and proper guidance important parts of a coach’s responsibility.

The keynote session was built around the theme “HOPE”, which stands for Harnessing Opportunity, Organising for Excellence, Promoting Players’ Development and Empowering the Next Generation. The programme therefore placed emphasis on both sporting development and the wider growth of young players.

FCT Basketball Head Coach and former national junior team coach Emmanuel Odah also addressed the participants. Speaking on “Who Is a Coach?”, Odah highlighted commitment, organisation, care, affection and humility as key qualities required in coaching.

ABA Head of Technical Coach Adeka Daudu and Coach Alexander Anyebe Ujoh were among the other instructors at the programme. They focused on the relationship between coaches and the young players under their care.

Participants welcomed the initiative and pledged to apply the lessons from the training to their work. They also stressed that coaches have a responsibility to help develop the character of young players alongside their basketball abilities.

The programme was attended by several basketball stakeholders, including FCT Acting Director of Sports Iyiola Ogundele and veteran Bayelsa basketball administrator Coach Tony. The Yola training forms part of ABA’s wider effort to strengthen grassroots basketball development and create a clearer pathway for emerging talent in the North-East.

ABA Launches North-East Basketball Revival With Coaches’ Training in Yola

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