The Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) has disclosed the plans to establish a foundation dedicated to the education and development of African athletes, particularly within universities and high-performance training centers.
CAA President Hamad Kalkaba Malboum revealed the initiative on Tuesday, while highlighting his discussion with the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta.
He said the proposed foundation would serve as a long-term strategy to support African athletes beyond the competitive arena, focusing on both academic education and athletic training.
“We want to set up a foundation for developing sports and culture in Africa,” Malboum said.
“Because we think that sports and culture are a way for Africa to show itself positively to the world.”
Malboum emphasized that African athletes often lack consistent institutional support, especially from governments and private sector stakeholders.
The foundation, he said, is aimed at filling this gap by providing financial resources and infrastructure to help athletes thrive both during and after their sporting careers.
He noted that CAA has already established four language-based training centers across the continent: Nairobi for English-speaking countries, Dakar for Francophone nations, Cairo for Arabic-speaking countries, and YaoundéLusophone nations.
While these centres primarily train officials, some also host athlete development sessions.
In addition to those, high-performance centers are already operational in select universities, including the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria where world record holder Tobi Amusan was first discovered as well as in Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya, he said plans are also underway to collaborate with Stellenbosch University in South Africa to develop facilities for pole vaulting and juggling events.
Despite this progress, Malboum acknowledged that financial limitations continue to hinder wider expansion.
“We don’t have the resources to cover all the centers properly,” he said.
“But if we had the means, we could replicate the university-athlete model seen in the United States, where top athletes emerge from educational institutions.”
He also stressed that investing in youth development is just as critical as building infrastructure like roads or hospitals.
“Preparing our younger generation is essential. We must prioritize building human capacity,” he said.
Malboum also touched on efforts to combat doping and age falsification in athletics, calling for stricter education and accountability.
“Education must begin with the athlete’s entourage — the coach, the doctor, the family. Everyone has a role in preventing doping,” he said.
He warned that federations involved in falsifying athletes’ ages could face suspension.
During his visit, Malboum praised the traditional institutions in Ogun State, noting their enduring cultural values.
He met with the Alake of Egbaland and expressed admiration for how traditional leadership has been preserved in parts of Nigeria ,a contrast to what he described as the loss of such structures in some other African countries due to colonization.
The CAA President called on African leaders, businesses, and the media to play a greater role in supporting athletics.
“We cannot always rely on individuals to save our sport,” he said.
“We must prepare together for the future of athletics in Africa.”