ABUJA, Nigeria, May 23, 2022/APO Group/ -- The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) (AfricaOlympic.com) and APO Group (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 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 (bit.ly/3lBOVW0) in Africa and has established partnerships with the International Sports Press Association (AIPS), the African Union of Broadcasting (bit.ly/3ai9qos), and the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) (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.