Africa scouts its best players young, exports them early, and too often loses them to opaque deals before anyone captures their real value. This panel flips that script. Bringing together a sports star who lived the export cycle, a leading agent, a top academy head, and a sports lawyer, the conversation goes beyond inspiration to hard mechanics: transparent contracts that protect minors, AI-driven scouting that spots talent before predators do, and welfare-first academies wired into AfCFTA markets so ambition doesn't mean abandonment. The question on the table — can regional leagues become strong enough to rival the pull of leaving too soon, keeping both the athletes and the revenue they generate on African soil, longer?

Panelists:

• Ms. Clare Akamanzi, CEO, NBA Africa
• Mr. Simon Tiemtore, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Lilium Capital Group, Chairman, Vista Bank Group & Co-owner of Team Drogba in the E1 Series
• Mr. Kingsley Pungong, Executive Chairman, Rainbow World Group
• Ms. Clare Akamanzi, CEO, NBA Africa

Moderator: Ms. Chiney Ogwumike, WNBA All-Star, ESPN Analyst & Founder, Queens of the Continent Foundation