The race for the 2026 Zenith Bank NBBF Women’s Basketball League title enters its decisive stage as the nation’s top eight teams converge on Lagos for the national Final 8.
The tournament will take place at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, from September 28 to October 3, 2026, with eight teams set to battle for the championship.
The finalists are Nigeria Customs, AS Sky Queens, Titans, Air Warriors, MFM, First Bank, Victoria Queens and Bayelsa Blue Whales, who secured their places after competitive campaigns in the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences.
The absence of defending champions Dolphins Basketball Club has opened the race for a new champion. Dolphins, who defeated First Bank in last year’s final, failed to finish among the top four teams in the Atlantic Conference and will not defend their title.
Championship Pedigree
First Bank arrive in Lagos with significant experience, having won a record nine league titles. The club also finished runners-up last year and will be seeking another championship after returning to the Final 8.
MFM will equally draw on recent success, having won consecutive league championships in 2023 and 2024.
With both teams among the finalists, the competition brings together established championship pedigree and teams seeking to claim their place in the history of Nigerian women’s basketball.
The league has for more than two decades provided a platform for female basketball players to compete, develop their skills and progress to higher levels of the sport.
Zenith Bank has been the sole sponsor of the National Women’s Basketball League since 2005, through its partnership with the Nigeria Basketball Federation.
The partnership has supported the continued development of women’s basketball and provided a platform for players to be identified and developed for elite competition.
The domestic league has also served as a pathway to Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with several players who have represented the country emerging through the competition.
Beyond the national team, the league provides young female athletes with opportunities to develop skills, discipline, teamwork and professional sporting careers.
Spotlight On Lagos
With the Final 8 now underway, attention turns to which of the eight remaining teams will claim the championship and become the latest winner of the Zenith Bank NBBF Women’s Basketball League.
For Zenith Bank, its longstanding sponsorship of the competition is part of a broader community-development commitment focused on creating opportunities and supporting young Nigerians.
The bank cited several initiatives as part of that commitment, including the reconstruction and beautification of Ajose Adeogun Street and Roundabout, the annual Zenith Bank Youth Parade and Light-Up Ceremony, the construction of ICT centres in tertiary institutions across Nigeria, and the construction of the Iga Iduganran Primary Healthcare Centre.
The Final 8 now presents the latest stage of that long-running investment in women’s basketball, with eight teams chasing one trophy in Lagos.
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