MFM wins first Louis Edem West Africa Women's Basketball Championship

MFM has won the first Louis Edem West Africa Women’s Basketball Championship. They beat First Bank, the record champions of the Nigerian Women’s Basketball League, 49-41 in the final.

The final took place on Saturday at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. It was a tough match before MFM claimed victory, adding another title to their basketball achievements.

MFM, who have won the Nigerian Women’s Basketball League twice, kept their cool against First Bank. First Bank is still the most successful team in the history of the local league.

In the third-place match, Victoria Queens from Lagos won against Ghana’s GRA 54-48 to take home the bronze medal.

Teams and Competition

The tournament featured women’s basketball teams from Nigeria and Ghana. It gave the teams a chance to face different opponents and encourage better cooperation through sports.

Louis Edem, who organized the championship, praised all the teams that took part. He called the tournament another milestone for the Louis Edem Foundation.

“It’s another great moment for all the teams that came for this year’s championship,” Mr Edem said.

He noted that GRA from Ghana's participation was especially important. Playing against strong Nigerian teams can help improve the Ghanaian team when they return to their league.

“For example, the team from Ghana, coming out here to play basketball against all the elite teams in Nigeria, helps them go back and perform in their league. And one important thing that people forget is that it promotes regional cooperation and youth cooperation,” he said.

Player Feedback

Victoria Queens captain, Toluwani Arogundade, shared her thoughts on the competition. She said it was a valuable experience for her team and praised the organizers for the championship.

“It’s been a great experience for us. We appreciate the organizers for allowing us to compete, and we will take the lessons from this tournament and work on our performance ahead of the 2026 Women’s League,” she said.

B4 Sail Finance Ltd was one of the sponsors of the championship. They said their support shows their commitment to helping Nigerian youths through sports.

Oluwatobiloba Oladipupo, the Business Development Officer of the company, said the tournament was a good chance to support young athletes. He also mentioned that it promotes values that go beyond the basketball court.

“Finance goes beyond just giving companies opportunities; it’s a way to promote discipline, teamwork, and resilience, and we can see what the girls are doing,” Mr Oladipupo said.

He congratulated MFM on their victory and praised all the teams for their efforts during the tournament.