Basketball
ZENITH, TOTAL HOSTS VICTORIOUS D’TIGRESS AFTER AFROBASKET WIN
Two major partners of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Zenith Bank and Total E&P played host to winners of the victorious 2019 FIBA Afrobasket winners, D’Tigress at their corporate offices, less than 24 hours after their arrival.
Title sponsors of the Zenith Women Basketball League and Total E&P, sponsors of the Men’s Division 1 and 2 who described the reception as befitting of the African champions, said it was imperative for the girls to be feted and made to understand what they have done for the nation.
Zenith Bank Managing Director, Ebenezer Onyeagwu expressed happiness that the continued investment of the financial institution in Basketball has continued to yield tremendous results on the local and international scene.
“Zenith Bank is so proud of your achievements despite the odds going all out to defend your title in style. As a proud sponsor of the Women’s elite league, we are elated that our partnership with the NBBF has continued to grow and translate to positive results everybody can see.”
Zenith in their tradition disclosed that the team will be credited with a token as their own way of saying “Thank you.”
At Total E&P, Tai Oshisanya, Finance Director while welcoming the team said seeing the team back at Total E&P with the trophy was a thing of joy and a result of the hard work put into the team by the NBBF board, the Technical Crew and the players.
The Executive Director, Corporate Affairs and Communications, Biodun Afolabi described the win as the needed ray of light in such a time like this for all Nigerians.
“Your victory means a lot to the nation. What you have done is not just for yourself, your family or the NBBF but also for the whole nation. You are setting examples for the whole nation with young boys and girls looking up to you that if you could do it, we can do it also.”
While responding, team captain, Adaora Elonu said the dynasty that they are trying to create is finally taking shape with what they have been able to achieve in the past 3 years with 2 Afrobasket titles and an 8th placed finish at the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
“It was important that we came back home and appreciate our fans for their support. We are definitely on a mission. We implore more of Government’s support and corporate organizations to invest in basketball which will make our journey smoother”.
While responding at the event, the NBBF President, Musa Kida appreciated Zenith Bank and Total for deeming it fit to accord the team the deserved recognition after defeating Senegal in their backyard to successfully defend the title they won in 2017.
“Zenith Bank’s passion for women’s basketball development in Nigeria is second to none. Their support for the league and the national team is well documented and we appreciate every bit of it as a federation.”
Reacting during the reception organized by Total, Kida who also doubles as Total Nigeria Deputy Managing Director lauded the recent and growing partnership between NBBF and Total, which he hoped, can get better.
“We are excited at the immense possibilities that this partnership can bring. Today is all about our courageous women.”
D’Tigress went on an unbeaten run of five games defeating host- Senegal in the final to retain their African title.
The team is currently on a 14-game unbeaten run dating back to 2015 when they defeated Angola in the 3rd placed game to clinch the bronze medal.
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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