ANOCA, APO Group announce strategic, multi-year partnership to advance the Olympic Movement in Africa

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) (https://AfricaOlympic.com/) and APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, today announced a strategic, multi-year partnership that will bring greater international prominence to the Olympic Movement in Africa.

The partnership was sealed Saturday in Abuja, Nigeria, during the 20th Ordinary General Assembly of ANOCA, by the President of ANOCA, Mustapha Berraf, and Vivian Casaletti, Group Head of Partnerships of APO Group, who was representing the Founder and Chairman of APO Group, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard.

ANOCA is an international organization based in Abuja, which brings together the 54 African National Olympic Committees. ANOCA’s work includes:

Encouraging mediation and conciliation between African National Olympic Committees and governments

Providing young athletes with better foundations for success

Promoting Olympic ideals and values in Africa

Taking part in the fight against doping, corruption and violence

Working to bring people together through sport to build a peaceful Africa

In 2026, Africa will host its first-ever global Olympic Games when the Summer Youth Olympics are held in Dakar, Senegal.

ANOCA also runs Africa-wide programmes such as the African Games, African Youth Games, African Beach Games, ANOCA U-23 Championship, Olympic Qualifying Tournaments and ANOCA Women’s Olympic Tournaments.

The partnership will see APO Group support the wider ANOCA organization, as well as the individual Olympic Associations of all 54 African nations, helping them gain international media coverage and achieve greater visibility.

The pinnacle of the sport in Africa

The Olympics Movement represents the pinnacle of global sport, and ANOCA is the supreme governing body of the Olympic Movement in Africa. The organization strives to showcase sport as the ultimate expression of life and healthy competition amongst nations.

ANOCA collaborate in harmony with Governments in every African nation, focussing particularly on creating opportunities for young people through sport. By placing sport at the heart of education and social cohesion, ANOCA helps to motivate and inspire young people all over the continent.

APO Group and ANOCA have a shared vision for African development through sport, with both organizations passionate about providing support for young or disadvantaged people.

APO Group is the Pan-African Public Relations agency of FIFA, the NBA, and the Basketball Africa League; the Main Official Sponsor of Rugby Africa; and Official Partner to many other prominent sporting organizations including iconic French football club Olympique de Marseille (OM) and Africa’s first ever Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Tour team, Team Qhubeka.

APO Group is also the strategic partner of Getty Images (https://bit.ly/3lBOVW0) in Africa and has established partnerships with the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), the African Union of Broadcasting (https://bit.ly/3ai9qos), and the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) (https://bit.ly/3PN4jwS).

“APO Group are the best at what they do in terms of their media network and expertise, and their track record for championing sport in Africa is also exceptional. It is a natural step for them to be joining the Olympic Movement in Africa. We are thrilled to be entering into this partnership, as it means greater prominence not only for our member associations, but for every African athlete competing on the Olympic stage,” said Mustapha Berraf, President of ANOCA.

“I want to thank ANOCA, and in particular President Berraf, for giving us this wonderful opportunity to be involved in African sport at the very highest level,” said APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com). “From the moment we met, it was clear we shared a vision for using sport to enrich people’s lives all over the continent. I look forward to a long collaboration, where we can shine a light on the Olympic Movement Africa, and give it the global audience it deserves.”

Olympic Movement in Africa – Key information

54 African countries are part of the Olympic Movement – representing a quarter of global participating countries

All 54 African National Olympics Committees took part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

984 accredited African athletes took part in the Tokyo Olympics, including 415 women and 569 men

38 African athletes won medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games

Africa currently has 50 Olympafrica centres and an African Olympic Academy.

The Olympafrica Centres are dedicated to caring for African youth through sport, by coaching young people in the Olympic values of solidarity, fair play and sharing. Since its inception, The Olympafrica Foundation has contributed to the popularization of the Olympic ideals across the African continent, and its mission highlights the importance ANOCA attaches to this flagship project.

Millions of young Africans benefit from quality support enabling them to blossom in their environment and contribute to the influence of African youth. ANOCA’s 2022-2025 strategic plan makes it possible to strengthen the impact of the Olympic Movement in the education of youth, the improvement of living conditions, and better quality of life for all thanks to the opportunities offered by the Olympafrica Foundation.

ANOCA has also set up a number of events and support programmes for African athletes, including:

A development programme to provide optimal preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Events and seminars to increase opportunities for African athletes on the global stage

A conference on the environment taking into account the challenges of sport and sustainable development in Africa

A full set of African Olympic competitions including the All Africa Games, the All Africa Youth Games, the Beach Games and the flagship Zone Games

ANOCA is also making serious preparations for African athletes to participate in the Winter Olympic Games and has signed a partnership with South Korea for the training and preparation of athletes for the next Winter Youth Games.

About ANOCA:

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) is an international organization based in Abuja, Nigeria, which brings together the fifty-four African National Olympic Committees.

The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) was founded on June 28, 1981, in Lome, Togo. On July 1965, ANOCA’s predecessor, the Standing Committee of African Sports SCAS was founded in Brazzaville as Comité Permanent du Sport Africain (CPSA). Consequently, that title for the sports continental body changed to the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa SCSA on 14 December 1966 in Bamako, Mali.

About APO Group:

Founded in 2007, APO Group (www.APO-opa.com) is the leading pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service. We assist private and public organisations in sharpening their reputation and increasing their brand equity in target countries across Africa. Our role as a trusted partner is to leverage the power of media and build bespoke strategies that enable organisations to produce a real, measurable impact in Africa and beyond.

The trust and recognition granted to APO Group by global and multinational companies, governments, and NGOs inspires us to continuously enhance our value proposition within Africa to better cater to our clients’ needs.

Among our prestigious clients: Facebook, Dangote Group, Nestle, GE, NBA, Canon, Coca-Cola, DHL, Marriott Group, Ecobank, Siemens, Standard Chartered, Orange, Jack Ma Foundation, African Development Bank, World Health Organization, Islamic Development Bank, Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Rotary International, Kaspersky, Greenpeace.

ANOCA