In a bold move to foster grassroots sports development and youth empowerment in Northern Nigeria, the GBAM Foundation on Thursday unveiled the maiden edition of its Inter-Local Government Basketball Tournament in Kaduna, with over N1.5 million in prize money for winners in both male and female categories.
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The tournament, which will run from May 26 to June 7 at the iconic Murtala Mohammed Square, will feature teams from all 23 Local Government Areas of Kaduna State.
Founder and CEO of GBAM Foundation, Murpheus Major Idoko, at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday disclosed that registration is free, with additional financial subsidies provided to participating teams to cushion logistical burdens.
Murpheus added that the initiative is designed to institutionalise a sustainable basketball structure in Kaduna and gradually extend it across Nigeria.
According to him, the overall winner in the male category will clinch N1 million, while the female champions will receive N500,000.
“The idea is to look inward and build on what truly resonates with young people: sports, entertainment and expression,” Idoko stated.
“GBAM stands for Graffiti, Basketball, Art and Music. Since 2019, we’ve empowered men, women, persons with disabilities and school children. This year, we are redefining that vision by starting at the grassroots, with LGAs taking centre stage.”
He commended corporate sponsors and government MDAs, including Kaduna Internal Revenue Service, Zenith Bank, Pay Kaduna, among others for supporting the initiative.
The competition structure will follow Kaduna’s senatorial zones, with LGAs competing within their regions before advancing to the final stages.
Head of Technical, Daniel Jonah, noted that officiating will be handled by both state and nationally graded referees, including a recently ranked top official from Malaysia, ensuring global best practices.
Grace John, Academy Manager of GBAM, emphasized the Foundation’s commitment to gender inclusion, announcing a zonal-based female tournament this year.
“We are collaborating with girl-child-focused foundations to blend sports with education and empowerment,” she said.
Creative Director, Didam Illiya, said music and art performances will complement the basketball games, in a bid to create an immersive youth-friendly festival. “Sports and entertainment go hand in hand; it keeps young people positively engaged and off the streets,” he added.
With rising concerns over youth restiveness and drug abuse in Northern Nigeria, the GBAM Inter-LGA Tournament could offer a blueprint for sports-driven community engagement and talent discovery, setting a model for other states to emulate.
