Zenith Bank’s Commitments To National Women Basketball Team, D’Tigress, Through League Sponsorship Will Define 2026 Finals In Lagos

Zenith Bank’s Commitments To National Women Basketball Team

 

OpenLife News reports that the road to the 2026 Zenith Bank NBBF Women’s Basketball League title reaches its climax as eight top teams converge on Lagos for the highly anticipated National Finals.

The finals will hold from September 28 to October 3, 2026, at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Emerging from fiercely contested Atlantic and Savannah Conference campaigns, Nigeria Customs, AS Sky Queens, Titans, Air Warriors, MFM, First Bank, Victoria Queens, and Bayelsa Blue Whales have booked their place in the battle for national honours.

Last year’s champions, Dolphins Basketball Club, who lifted the trophy after defeating First Bank in the final, will not be in contention this year after failing to make the top four of the Atlantic Conference. Their absence leaves the title wide open for a new champion.

The trophy will however be contested by teams with rich championship pedigree. First Bank, last year’s finalist and the most successful team in the history of the competition, arrives with a record nine league titles, while MFM will be banking on its recent dominance after winning back-to-back championships in 2023 and 2024.

It is a level of competition that 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 heart 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 level of the sport.

The league has also served as a vital pathway to the National Women 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 the opportunity to build confidence, skill, discipline, teamwork and professional sporting careers.

For Zenith Bank, the 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 a meaningful difference in the lives of young Nigerians.

This commitment extends across several areas of community development, with notable initiatives 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 the country, and the construction of the ultra-modern Iga Iduganran Primary Healthcare Centre, among others.

Through these initiatives and its longstanding support for women’s basketball, Zenith Bank Plc continues to demonstrate that its commitment to society goes beyond banking, with a focus on creating opportunities and contributing to the development of communities and the next generation.

So from September 28 to October 3, 2026, it is eight teams, one destination and one crown.