American basketball player Obadiah Arthur Noel, who plays for APR BBC, has officially received Rwandan citizenship, raising hopes that he could soon join Rwanda’s national basketball team.
The 26-year-old expressed his pride in becoming Rwandan by sharing a photo of his new Rwandan ID on social media.
According to APR BBC management, it was Obadiah himself who applied for citizenship, taking advantage of a law that allows individuals with exceptional talent to be granted nationality.
Rwanda’s 2021 Nationality Law permits people with skills that are deemed beneficial to the country to obtain citizenship. This was confirmed by Zigirinshuti Daniel, the Team Manager of APR BBC.
Obadiah arrived in Rwanda in 2024 to participate in the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and quickly won fans’ hearts thanks to his clutch performances in the final minutes of games—earning him the nickname “Mutabazi” (Savior).
It is now widely expected that he could be included in Rwanda’s squad for the AfroBasket Championship set to take place in Angola in August 2025.
Obadiah is now regarded as one of the top players who could significantly help elevate Rwanda’s basketball standards on the African continent.
