2026 Women’s Basketball League Set for August 16 Tip-Off

The 2026 Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball League will tip off this weekend, with teams competing in Lagos and Jos for conference honours.

The premier women’s basketball competition, sponsored by Zenith Bank Plc in partnership with the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), will begin with the Atlantic Conference in Lagos on August 16. The Savannah Conference will start in Jos on August 17.

NBBF Secretary-General, Amina Amanchi, said preparations for the new season had reached the final stage. She confirmed that the women’s basketball league would feature two conferences, with Lagos hosting the Atlantic Conference and Jos serving as the base for the Savannah Conference.

Eight teams will compete in each conference, with the top four from each group progressing to the finals in Lagos after the first and second phases.

The Atlantic Conference includes former champions First Bank, Sunshine Angels, IGP Queens, First Deep Water, Delta Force, MFM, Dolphins and Bayelsa Whales. The Savannah Conference features Nigeria Customs, Royal Aces, Titans, Nasarawa Amazons, Kada Angels, Nigeria Army, Plateau Rocks and Air Warriors of Abuja.

Zenith Bank Group Managing Director and CEO, Dame Dr Adaora Umeoji, said the bank was pleased to maintain its partnership with the NBBF women’s league. She said the competition had helped discover and develop players who later represented Nigeria at the highest level.

“We look forward to this every year because we are proud that this tournament has, over the years, produced superstars for Nigeria and placed Nigeria above all other countries on the continent,” Umeoji said.

She expressed confidence that the 2026 women’s basketball league would produce more players capable of joining D’Tigress.

Which team will make the strongest start to the new season?