Basketball
ZENITH BANK, NBBF PROPOSE BETTER STRUCTURE FOR ENHANCED WOMEN LEAGUE
Title sponsors of the Women’s Basketball League Zenith Bank and the Nigeria Basketball Federation want a better structure put in place to improve the standard of the league and make it more competitive and economically rewarding for players
An agreement on this was reached today at a meeting between Zenith bank and NBBF at its Corporate headquarters in Lagos.
Nwabueze Chidubem of the Bank’s Corporate Communications department said there was need to set salary benchmarks for players to ensure that their welfare aligned with international best practices.
“We need to set a standard fundamentally and basic salary benchmarks for players. It begins with the organization of the teams. We will propose that salaries and match bonuses of players are paid directly by the bank or through the teams with proper monitoring.
“People need to have a better understanding of our league which will capture the teams, phases, time frame and venues.
The timetable will not only help us as sponsors in planning for the league, it will also help teams in preparing ahead of time. If we say we have a premier league, we need to know on time.”
Chidubem acknowledged that in view of the economic reality in Nigeria, there is need to do more in improving the sponsorship package of the league.
Christopher Chukwura also of Zenith Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility department expressed optimism that a new chapter has been opened in the bank’s relationship with NBBF and appealed for early submission of proposals.
The NBBF represented by its Vice President, Babatunde Ogunade and Oni Afolabi, the media representative thanked Zenith Bank for their unflinching support to basketball in the past 12 years.
At the meeting with the oldest surviving sponsor of basketball in Nigeria, Ogunade reiterated the need to create a friendly environment around the league where people can come and enjoy themselves while watching the sport they love.
“If three people gather today to play basketball, people will still stop and watch them. What we need to create in our partnership with Zenith Bank is the attendant value for the league, the organiser and the sponsor.
“As we are all aware, sports go hand in hand with music, entertainment, pleasure, tourism and hospitality. We must leverage on all these to make the league a bigger brand than what we have had so far.”
The federation promised that a structure will be put in place to reward and protect players who are the major actors irrespective of the sponsorship coming to the Zenith Bank Women Basketball League.
“We will create an environment where the players are the bigger brand than the administrators because without them, we won’t be sitting here talking about basketball.”
Ogunade reminded Zenith Bank’s management of their promise to support the senior women’s national team ahead of their world cup outing in 2018 while appealing for Zenith Bank’s backing for the D’Tigers who will be commencing their World Cup qualifiers in February, 2018.
“Like Oliver Twist, the federation will continue to ask for more. We know we can continue to count on you for the sponsorship of the Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League and the World Cup outing of the D’Tigress in 2018.
“We will also need your assistance for the senior men’s national team ahead of their own qualifiers.”
By Ugo Okeiyi, Enugu
The end-of-year Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational Tournament, tagged “Championing the Youth Through Sports, Education and Opportunity,” has taken off and will be concluded on Friday. The three-day event is taking place at the Indoor Sports Multipurpose Gymnasium, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
The grassroots basketball competition is designed to serve as a platform for discovering and nurturing the next generation of Nigerian basketball talent.
A total of 14 teams — eight male and six female sides drawn from across the country — are competing for honours in what promises to be an exciting three-day basketball spectacle.
The tournament is powered by the Anthony Ozubuekwe Foundation, in collaboration with the Enugu State Ministry for Youth and Sports Development and the Enugu State Basketball Association.
Organisers say fans should expect high-quality action, with displays of skill, athleticism and tactical awareness from some of the most promising young players in the country.
According to the organisers, the initiative is structured to positively engage young people, steering them away from social vices and criminal tendencies, while using sports as a tool for education, personal development and opportunity creation.
They added that the tournament will also give coaches and team officials a valuable opportunity to assess the mental readiness, discipline and competitive mindset of the players, while providing a conducive environment for athletes to interact, bond and learn from one another.
The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with attractive prize money on offer. In the men’s category, the champions will receive ₦2 million and a giant trophy, while the runners-up will earn ₦1.5 million.
In the women’s category, the winning team will go home with ₦1.5 million, while the second-placed team will receive ₦750,000.
With its blend of competition, youth empowerment and community development, the Ozobz Elite Basketball Invitational is expected to be one of the standout grassroots sports events of the year in Enugu State.
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Former head coach of Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, Alex Nwora, will join family, friends and well-wishers on December 28, 2025, to celebrate the 90th birthday of his father, Chief Charles Okwudi Nworah, in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The milestone celebration, according to Evelyn Childs, Public Relations Officer of the US-based Imo Women Elite Club (IWEC), will take place at the expansive Onitsha compound of the nonagenarian, who is highly regarded in his community.
Born on April 17, 1936, to Akudo and Agnes Nwora of the Okakwu family in Ogbedogwu Village, Onitsha, Chief Nworah’s early years reflected strong family values rooted in education and public service. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School before moving on to Prince Commercial College, and later completed his secondary education at Baptist High School, Osogbo, in Osun State.
Chief Nworah began his career in the civil service at a young age with the Post and Telecommunications Service (P&T), where his father also served and retired as a senior manager. His professional journey continued seamlessly into Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) following the merger of P&T with the Nigerian External Telecommunications.
Alex Nwora, who led D’Tigers through notable periods of growth and international competition, is expected to play a central role in the celebration, which will bring together members of the extended Nwora family and the Onitsha community to honour the life and legacy of the elder statesman.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conferred national honours on all members of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Côte d’Ivoire.
Each member of the team was decorated with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title at a special reception held on Monday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Representing the president at the event was Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced a series of generous rewards for the champions.
In addition to the national honours, each player will receive $100,000, while each member of the technical crew will be given $50,000. The government also pledged a flat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to every player and official on the squad.
The rewards follow D’Tigress’s emphatic 78-64 win over Mali in Sunday’s AfroBasket final, played at the Palais des Sports de Treichville in Abidjan. The victory marked Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, a feat unmatched in the tournament’s history. With the triumph, D’Tigress also secured an automatic berth to the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
President Tinubu, in his remarks delivered by Vice President Shettima, hailed the team’s resilience, determination, and consistency, describing their dominance on the continental stage as a symbol of national pride and inspiration to the youth.
Present at the reception were First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President, Garba Maidoki, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youths and Sports Development, and Kabiru Amadou, Chairman of the House Committee on Sports.
The honours and incentives underscore the government’s renewed commitment to recognising excellence in sports and motivating future champions.
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