It was naira rain for winners of the 2026 NBBF/Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League with the winners going home with prize money of N7.5m with the second and third place finishers winning N5m and N3m respectively for their efforts.
Speaking at the final, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc, Dame Dr. Adaora Umeoji, represented by one of the Executive Directors of the financial institution, Adamu Lawani, described all the teams as winners while reiterating the organisations’ commitment to the development of women basketball in the country after doing so for 20 years.
“All of you already inspire every young girl watching from the stands tonight,” he said.
“Zenith Bank remains committed to the game, we’ll be here next season and the seasons after. Once again, congratulations to all of us. To the champions (MFM), you earned this title with discipline and hard work. Congratulations to the runner up (First Bank), you tested the champion to the end, hold your head very high. We will celebrate together.”
MFM Women Basketball team won their third title in four years after surviving a late scare by record winner of the league, First Bank, to win the game 66-64 points after overtime with both taking home the top two prize money.
In the third place match played earlier on Saturday afternoon, Nigeria Customs defeated Savannah Conference’s rival, ASO SKY Queens 51-38 points to claim the bronze medal and N3m for their efforts.
Apart from the teams taking away prize money, all the individual award winners went home with money with the biggest beneficiary, the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, Ioumabo Pius of MFM, going home with sum of N2m.
Pius was rewarded by Zenith Bank for her place in the Tournament Top 5 with sum of N500,000 alongside Favour Anari (ASO SKY), Nwaado Hemban (MFM), Nkem Akaraiwe (Customs) and Marilyn Ofidibe (First Bank).
She however received another N500,000 from the Zenith Bank for winning the MVP while two other associations, Dam Foundations and Xejet added N500,000 each for a total of N2m.
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