LIS to Host Women’s Tennis Tournament with ₦4 Million Prize

Ladies in Sports International (LIS) has announced a women’s tennis tournament with a ₦4 million prize for the winner. This is the highest prize for a women’s tennis competition in Nigeria.

The tournament will take place from 14 to 16 December 2026 at Lagos Country Club in Ikeja GRA, Lagos. The top eight ranked female players in Nigeria are expected to participate.

LIS aims to create more earning chances for female athletes, promote excellence in tennis, and encourage businesses to support women’s sports.

The initiative wants to show the potential of women’s sports and create chances for companies to help develop professionally organised sports events in Nigeria.

The ₦4 million prize is a big incentive for players, especially since many local competitions do not offer substantial rewards.

LIS believes the tournament will highlight the need for more funding for elite women’s competitions. It aims to create a better professional environment for female athletes.

Tega Onojaife, the founder of LIS, spoke about why this initiative is important. She said Nigeria has a lot of sporting talent, but athletes need financial and structural support to succeed.

"We have extraordinary sporting talent in Nigeria, but talent alone is not enough to build a successful professional career. Athletes need quality competitions, adequate prize money, consistent sponsorship and an environment that allows them to earn a living from their sport," she stated.

Onojaife said developing professional sports should not rely just on individual efforts. It should attract serious investments from businesses.

"Elite sports tournaments cannot depend indefinitely on the passion and personal sacrifice of a few individuals. They need serious investment from private-sector organisations that understand the value of sport as a business, a platform for brand development and a tool for social impact," she added.

She mentioned the need to create an environment for Nigerian athletes to have professional careers without leaving the country for better chances.

"We must get to a point where a professional tennis player living and training in Nigeria can compete at a high level, earn meaningful income and see a future in the sport without feeling compelled to leave the country simply to access better opportunities," Onojaife said.

LIS believes that the long-term growth of women’s sports needs stronger partnerships between athletes, sports administrators, sponsors, and businesses.

They called on banks, telecoms, energy, consumer goods, technology, and financial services companies to support projects that improve the professional sports scene for women.

LIS noted that ongoing investments from businesses could lead to better tournament organisation, bigger prize money, stronger athlete welfare, more media coverage, and more chances for Nigerian players to compete at higher levels.

They also urged businesses to go beyond one-off sponsorships and build lasting partnerships that would help competitions grow and give athletes more stable income opportunities.

LIS said the Women’s Tennis Invitational aims to show how investment, professional organisation, and athlete support can help grow women’s tennis in Nigeria.

The three-day event is set to gather eight of the country’s top female players, with the ₦4 million prize being its key attraction.

LIS hopes that this first edition will inspire more organisations to invest in women’s tennis and create a solid foundation for future female players.