Zenith Bank NBBF Women’s Basketball League Final 8 Tips Off in Lagos As Eight Teams Battle For 2026 Crown | Blissful Affairs Online
The road to the 2026 Zenith Bank NBBF Women’s Basketball League title enters its decisive stage as eight top teams converge on the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos from September 28 to October 3, 2026 for the national finals.
The finalists emerged from fiercely contested Atlantic and Savannah Conference campaigns. The qualified teams are Nigeria Customs, AS Sky Queens, Titans, Air Warriors, MFM, First Bank, Victoria Queens and Bayelsa Blue Whales.
There is plenty at stake in this year’s edition. Last year’s champions Dolphins Basketball Club, who lifted the trophy after defeating First Bank in the final, will not feature this year after failing to make the top four of the Atlantic Conference. Their absence leaves the title firmly up for grabs and sets the stage for a new champion to emerge.
The trophy will still be contested by teams with strong championship pedigree. First Bank, last year’s finalist and the most successful team in the history of the competition with nine league titles, arrives with experience and ambition. MFM will be looking to draw on its recent dominance after winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024. With both sides in the Final 8, history and form will collide in Lagos.
The level of competition reflects the growth of a league that has for more than two decades provided a platform for Nigeria’s best female basketball talents to emerge, compete and develop. At the centre of that journey has been Zenith Bank, the sole sponsor of the National Women’s Basketball League since 2005.
Through its partnership with the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, Zenith Bank has consistently supported the development of women’s basketball, helping to provide and sustain a competitive platform where talents can be discovered, nurtured and prepared for the highest levels of the sport.
The league has also served as an important pathway to the national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with several players who have featured prominently for Nigeria emerging from the domestic competition. Beyond the national team, the league continues to contribute to youth development by giving young female athletes opportunity to build confidence, skill, discipline, teamwork and professional careers.
Now attention turns to Lagos as the question remains which team will write a new chapter in the history of Nigerian women’s basketball. Eight teams, one destination, one crown.
For Zenith Bank, sponsorship of the Women’s Basketball League represents more than support for a sporting competition. It reflects the Bank’s broader commitment to creating platforms that provide opportunities, develop potential and make meaningful difference in the lives of young Nigerians.
This commitment extends across several areas of community development with initiatives including reconstruction and beautification of Ajose Adeogun Street and Roundabout, annual Zenith Bank Youth Parade and Light-Up Ceremony, construction of ICT Centres in tertiary institutions across the country, and construction of ultra-modern Iga Iduganran Primary Healthcare Centre among others.
Through these initiatives and longstanding support for women’s basketball, Zenith Bank continues to demonstrate commitment to society beyond banking, with focus on creating opportunities and contributing to development of communities and the next generation.
