Edem launches West Africa basketball tourney in Lagos News

Former D’Tigers power forward Louis Edem has announced plans for the 2026 Women’s West Africa Basketball Championship, scheduled to hold in Lagos from August 1 to 9, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The tournament, organised by the Louis Edem Foundation, will take place at the National Stadium in Surulere and is expected to feature some of the leading women’s basketball clubs and players from across West Africa, including teams from Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo.

According to the foundation on Sunday, the championship forms part of its wider objective of using sports as a platform for youth empowerment, leadership development, education and social transformation across Africa.

The initiative is aimed at creating opportunities for young people through basketball and education at a time when many Nigerian youths continue to battle unemployment and economic difficulties.

The former Union Bank Basketball Club and Yelwa Hawks star stressed that sports remained one of the most effective tools for positively engaging young people, nurturing talent and opening pathways to educational and career opportunities.

The foundation had earlier organised a Women’s U-18 Basketball Camp in Jos in January, where young female players from different communities participated in basketball training sessions, mentorship programmes and leadership workshops.

At the end of the camp, four outstanding participants were awarded academic scholarships as part of the foundation’s commitment to combining sports development with educational advancement.

The upcoming championship is expected to attract basketball fans, scouts, sponsors, sports stakeholders, media organisations and government officials from different parts of Africa.

Organisers also believe the competition will contribute to regional unity, women’s empowerment, youth engagement and economic activities in Lagos State beyond the games themselves.

The Louis Edem Foundation says it remains committed to grassroots basketball development and educational support for young athletes across West Africa through sustained investment in sports and scholarship programmes.