Eight teams will converge on the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, for the Final 8 of the 2026 Zenith Bank/NBBF Women’s Basketball League.
The competition is scheduled to run through October 3, with the group-stage action beginning on September 29 and the final and third-place match set for October 3. The teams arrived in Lagos on Monday ahead of the decisive stage.
The Final 8 lineup comprises MFM, First Bank, Victoria Queens and Bayelsa Blue Whales from the Atlantic Conference, alongside Nigeria Customs, ASO SKY Queens, Titans and Air Warriors from the Savannah Conference.
MFM and Nigeria Customs enter the competition after unbeaten conference campaigns. MFM won all 14 of its games across the two phases of the Atlantic Conference, while Customs recorded 10 wins from 10 games in the Savannah Conference.
Defending champions Dolphins will not defend their title after failing to qualify from the Atlantic Conference. The team finished seventh with three wins from 14 games.
Nine-time champions First Bank will also be seeking to reclaim the title. The Elephant Girls last won the league in 2018, while MFM, who won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024, will be looking to regain the crown they lost to Dolphins last year.
The opening fixtures will see First Bank face debutants Victoria Queens, ASO SKY Queens take on Titans, MFM play Bayelsa Blue Whales and Nigeria Customs meet Air Warriors. The teams have been divided into two groups, with the top two from each group advancing to the semi-finals.
The league is sponsored by Zenith Bank in partnership with the Nigeria Basketball Federation. The bank has supported the women’s national league since 2005, with the competition serving as an important pathway for the development of players who have gone on to represent Nigeria and compete internationally.
Zenith Bank’s 2025 annual report also identifies its partnership with the NBBF on the national women’s basketball league as part of its community development initiatives.
With the defending champions absent and eight teams still in contention, the Lagos Final 8 will determine the new champions of Nigerian women’s basketball.
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