Changing the Game to Change Lives

By Ian Mahinmi, President of the I AM Foundation and Ambassador of the Basketball Africa League

Sport has given me far more than a career, it has given me a voice, and above all, a responsibility. Looking back, one thing is clear: its true power goes far beyond the court. Sport can transform lives, bring communities together, and influence behaviors on a scale that few other forces can match.

That belief is what led me to create the I AM Foundation. My ambition has always been to use sport as a force for something greater, to inspire young people, strengthen leadership, promote civic engagement, and support initiatives that have a real and lasting impact on communities. Because I firmly believe that young Africans are not just the future of the continent, they are already driving its transformation.

Today, that vision comes to life through the collaboration between the I AM Foundation, the Basketball Africa League, and Speak Up Africa. Together, we are harnessing the most powerful aspects of sport, its energy, its reach, and its influence, to tackle critical challenges facing our continent, starting with malaria.

Malaria remains a daily reality for millions of families across Africa. It is a preventable and treatable disease, yet it continues to take far too many lives. This is not just a public health issue, it is a matter of equity, development, and shared responsibility. We have the tools. We have the solutions. What we need now is to accelerate action, amplify voices, and mobilize far beyond traditional circles.

This is where athletes have a unique role to play. We are heard. We inspire. We can reach audiences that institutional messages often struggle to connect with. That influence cannot remain on the sidelines, it must be used to support causes that matter, to shift mindsets, encourage preventive behaviors, and carry messages of urgency and hope.

Through the Speak Up Africa in Action platform, we have seen what this looks like in practice. During the Africa Cup of Nations, the initiative demonstrated how sport can serve as a powerful catalyst for mobilization, bringing together decision-makers, partners, media, and communities around a shared goal: saving lives. In Benin, during World Malaria Day, this momentum continued, using basketball as a platform for advocacy, rooted in local realities.

What struck me most was the engagement of young people. A generation that is creative, aware, and ready to act. Through storytelling, sport, and the platforms given to them, young people are no longer just beneficiaries of public policies, they are becoming drivers of change. They are sharing their realities, mobilizing their communities, and helping shape new pathways for impact. This is the generation we must support, empower, and invest in, because they are at the heart of the solution.

But none of this progress can happen alone. The partnership between the I AM Foundation and Speak Up Africa is built on a simple conviction: we can only scale impact by working together. By bringing together sport, advocacy, media, public institutions, and community actors, we are building an ecosystem capable of delivering lasting change. This collective approach is essential, not only to tackle malaria, but to advance broader public health priorities across the continent.

What we are building goes far beyond a single weekend of activities. It is a long-term movement, a model that can be replicated across Africa, placing youth, sport, and partnerships at the center of action. Throughout the year, we will continue to mobilize, to tell stories, and to connect, ensuring that these efforts do not end with an event, but grow into sustained impact.

On a basketball court, no victory is ever achieved alone. It is the collective that makes the difference. The same is true for our continent. If we want to eliminate malaria, strengthen our health systems, and build a more equitable future, we must move forward together, with ambition and determination.

I am proud to be part of this effort. But more importantly, I am convinced of one thing: change is within our reach, if we choose to act now together.