Dolphins Basketball Club of Lagos has officially withdrawn its bid to host the 2025 FIBA Africa Zone 3 Women’s Basketball Champions League Africa (WBCLA) Qualifiers, citing the Nigeria Basketball Federation’s (NBBF) failure to provide the required endorsement.
The reigning champions of the 2025 Zenith Bank Women’s Premier Basketball League confirmed the decision in a statement signed by club president, Olumide Oyedeji, on Tuesday.
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The club expressed deep disappointment over what it described as the NBBF’s “deliberate negligence and inexplicable refusal” to support a project that would have promoted Nigerian basketball at no financial cost to the federation.
According to the statement, Dolphins had received official approval from FIBA Africa Zone 3 to host the qualifiers in Lagos between November 1 and 7, a move expected to attract top clubs from across West Africa and offer Nigerian fans a rare chance to witness elite continental basketball on home soil.
However, despite several letters, calls, and reminders sent to the NBBF executive since September 26, the federation reportedly failed to endorse the mandatory hosting document — a crucial form required for FIBA to clear international teams for travel to Nigeria.
“No responsible national federation should act in a manner that frustrates the ambitions of its own clubs and athletes,” the statement read. “The NBBF’s silence is a disservice to Nigerian basketball and a betrayal of the trust of players and fans.”
Stakeholders have condemned the incident as another example of administrative negligence and poor leadership within Nigerian basketball, a sport long hampered by internal crises and governance lapses.
Fans and pundits have also voiced frustration on social media, accusing the NBBF of stifling growth and sabotaging private initiatives that could elevate the sport’s profile.
Dolphins disclosed that extensive preparations — including sponsorship commitments and logistical arrangements — had already been completed before the federation’s non-cooperation rendered the event “logistically impossible.” The club apologized to fans, partners, and sponsors who had shown strong support for the hosting bid.
“This was an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s potential once again on home soil,” the statement concluded. “Instead, we are forced to watch it slip away due to avoidable inaction.”
Clubs from Niger Republic, Togo, Ghana, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria were expected to compete in the qualifiers.
Meanwhile, FIBA Africa Zone 3 has begun searching for an alternative host, with strong indications that one of the seven remaining member federations may step in to rescue the event following the crisis caused by Nigeria’s basketball authorities.
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