] Representatives from NBA Africa and M-PESA partnership at M-PESA Jr. NBA coaching clinic in Nairobi.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) Africa and Safaricom, a technology company, announced on Saturday the M-PESA Jr. NBA initiative, which will provide basketball development and financial literacy programs to over 10,000 boys and girls in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu.

This is the league's largest youth development program in East Africa to date.

The inaugural year of the M-PESA Jr. NBA program, which started with a clinic for over 100 local coaches at SABIS International School in Nairobi, will include four regional tournaments for youth ages 13-16 in Nairobi (Feb. 22-23), Mombasa (March 8-9), Eldoret (March 15-16), and Kisumu (March 22-23).

In each location, 20 boys' and 20 girls' teams will compete in skill development and competitive games.

The top 80 players will then be divided into four boys' teams and four girls' teams, who will compete in round-robin style.

The top 16 boys and girls from each city will be chosen to attend an elite top 100 program in April at Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa.

In addition to the basketball development program, M-PESA, Safaricom's mobile payment platform, will hold financial literacy sessions for the participating youth, empowering them to build healthy financial habits.

“Tipping off our multiyear collaboration with Safaricom is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to make basketball more accessible to Kenyan boys and girls,” remarked Clare Akamanzi, CEO of NBA Africa.

“We look forward to positively impacting youth and coaches across the country through basketball development and life-skills programming.”

Safaricom CEO, Dr Peter Ndegwa, said:. “Through M-PESA Go, this collaboration transcends beyond basketball. It is driven by a shared vision to create a lasting impact, not only in sports but also in the broader context of youth empowerment.

‘We are committed to nurturing potential, building character, and equipping the next generation with the tools necessary for success.

“We firmly believe that the association between M-PESA Go and the Jr. NBA program can pave the way for growth and financial health, enabling young athletes to develop their skills and seize opportunities at the next level.”