NIGERIA

Our Global Partnership

Global Wheelchair Basketball × Disability Inclusive Sports Foundation (DISF)

 

Our story

The Disability Inclusive Sports Foundation (DISF) is proud to collaborate with Global Wheelchair Basketball (GWB) to advance inclusive sport and wheelchair basketball development across Nigeria.

Together, we are committed to creating opportunities for people with and without disabilities to participate, compete, and succeed through the power of inclusive wheelchair basketball.

This collaboration supports our shared goals of:

  • Expanding mixed-ability wheelchair basketball across Nigeria.
  • Training coaches, referees, classifiers, and volunteers.
  • Developing athletes from grassroots to elite competition.
  • Improving access to sports wheelchairs and inclusive equipment.
  • Promoting disability inclusion through sport.
  • Supporting schools, communities, and clubs to establish inclusive programmes.
  • Creating sustainable pathways to national, African, and international competition.

 

 

By combining global expertise with local leadership, Global Wheelchair Basketball and DISF are helping to build a more inclusive sporting future where ability is celebrated, barriers are removed, and everyone has the opportunity to play.

Together, we are creating lasting change through sport.

Our aims in Nigeria

Our core mission in Nigeria is to boost equal opportunities for people with and without disabilities through inclusive sport. We advocate for disability rights, ensuring inclusion is embedded in national and state sports policies. We are dedicated to improving access to safe, accessible sports facilities, equipment, and transport for all athletes. Our work promotes inclusive wheelchair basketball, a sport where people with and without disabilities play together, empowering athletes through training, mentorship, and resources to compete and thrive.

 

Our objectives in Nigeria

 

Our Objectives

The Disability Inclusive Sports Foundation (DISF) is committed to creating an inclusive sporting environment where people with and without disabilities have equal opportunities to participate, compete, and succeed. To achieve this, we will:

  1. Raise awareness of disability, inclusion, and the positive impact of mixed-ability sport through education and community engagement, helping to challenge stereotypes and change perceptions.

  2. Deliver training programmes for coaches, referees, classifiers, volunteers, and sports administrators in inclusive and adaptive sports, with a particular focus on wheelchair basketball.

  3. Collaborate with government agencies and the Nigeria Paralympic Committee to support the development, implementation, and funding of disability-inclusive sports policies and programmes.

  4. Improve accessibility by supporting the development of accessible sports facilities, court adaptations, ramps, and transport, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to train and compete.

  5. Organise inclusive sporting events, including integrated wheelchair basketball competitions for men, women, and junior athletes, promoting participation, teamwork, and community engagement.

  6. Provide essential sports equipment by sourcing, maintaining, and distributing sports wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment, enabling athletes with and without disabilities to play together.

  7. Advocate for sustainable investment in inclusive sport by encouraging funding for schools, community programmes, local clubs, and state sports initiatives.

  8. Identify and develop emerging talent through inclusive talent identification programmes that support male, female, and junior athletes with and without disabilities.

  9. Create clear athlete development pathways, enabling participants to progress from community clubs to state teams, national teams, IWBF Africa competitions, and ultimately the Paralympic Games.

 

 

The impact of your support in Nigeria

Your support leads to significant social inclusion, breaking down barriers by bringing people with and without disabilities together through sport. It fosters empowerment, building confidence, independence, and leadership for all participants. We see improved physical fitness and mental health through activity and teamwork. Our work challenges stigma, changing attitudes and showing what’s possible when we play together. We also focus on talent development, identifying and nurturing Nigeria’s next generation of inclusive sports athletes.

"The commitment of Global Wheelchair Basketball has transformed lives and perceptions in our community. Their work is truly inspiring."

Aisha Mohammed, Community Leader, East Ham, United Kingdom

Get involved and make a difference

There are many ways you can contribute to our mission in Nigeria. Whether it's through a donation, funding a specific programme, or partnering with us, your involvement helps us continue our vital work.