MFM Make History, Defeat First Bank to Win Inaugural Louis Edem West Africa Women’s Basketball Championship!
LAGOS, Nigeria — Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Women’s Basketball Team have made history by defeating First Bank to emerge champions of the inaugural all-women Louis Edem West Africa Basketball Championship in Lagos.
The landmark victory places MFM at the centre of a significant new chapter for women’s basketball in West Africa, as the Louis Edem Foundation’s championship concludes its maiden women-only edition with a Nigerian club lifting the inaugural title.
The competition, staged at the National Stadium Indoor Sports Hall in Surulere, Lagos, was designed to bring leading women’s basketball teams from across West Africa together while providing a stronger competitive platform for female athletes. The 2026 championship was scheduled for August 1 to 9 and featured clubs from Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region. Ahead of the tournament, organisers identified Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic and Togo among the countries expected to be represented. (Channels Television)
For MFM, the triumph represents more than another trophy. It is an important addition to the club’s growing record in Nigerian women’s basketball and another indication of the strength of the team on the domestic and regional stage.
The final against First Bank also brought together two of Nigeria’s most recognisable women’s basketball institutions. Their meeting carried added significance because of the long competitive history between the clubs.
A final between two established Nigerian rivals
MFM and First Bank have repeatedly crossed paths in major Nigerian basketball competitions, making their encounter in the Louis Edem final a meeting between two established forces rather than an unexpected pairing.
The two teams previously faced each other in the final of the Crown Elite Women Basketball Championship in 2022. At the time, TheCable reported that First Bank reached the final after defeating Bayelsa Strong 62–37, while MFM booked its place in the championship game with a 49–42 victory over Kada Queens. (The Cable)
Their history continued through other competitions, with First Bank and MFM regularly featuring prominently in Nigeria’s women’s basketball landscape.
That competitive background gave the Louis Edem final additional weight. First Bank entered the contest with a reputation built over decades, while MFM have increasingly established themselves as one of the leading forces in the modern Nigerian women’s game.
The latest result consequently represents a notable shift in the balance of the rivalry and provides MFM with an important regional title to add to its domestic achievements.
MFM’s growing influence in Nigerian women’s basketball
MFM’s emergence as champions of the Louis Edem women’s tournament follows a period of sustained success for the Lagos-based side.
The club won the 2023 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League title, defeating Nigeria Customs 64–60 in the championship game, according to reports published by The Eagle Online. MFM subsequently retained the national title in 2024, defeating Nigeria Customs 64–53. (The Eagle Online)
Those results underline the consistency that has become associated with the MFM programme.
The team’s success has also extended beyond domestic competition. MFM have represented Nigeria in continental women’s basketball competitions, including the FIBA Africa Women’s Basketball League, giving its players experience against opposition from outside the country.
That experience is particularly relevant to the Louis Edem Championship, which was conceived as a West African platform rather than simply another domestic tournament.
MFM’s run to the inaugural women’s championship therefore demonstrates the value of sustained competitive exposure, particularly for clubs seeking to compete beyond Nigeria.
A new platform for women’s basketball in West Africa
The Louis Edem Foundation’s decision to establish a women’s edition of its West Africa Basketball Championship reflects the broader effort to create more opportunities for female basketball players in the region.
The foundation, led by former Nigerian professional basketball player Louis Edem, has previously organised the Louis Edem Invitational West Africa Basketball Championship for men. Earlier editions brought together clubs from Nigeria, Ghana and Benin Republic, among other participants.
The Guardian reported in 2023 that the championship had been moved to Lagos and that the Louis Edem Foundation had committed to investing ₦100 million over five years toward grassroots basketball development in Nigeria. (The Guardian Nigeria)
The introduction of a dedicated women’s championship expands that development philosophy.
In announcing the 2026 competition, the foundation said the event was intended not only to promote basketball but also to advance youth empowerment, education, leadership development and social transformation. (Channels Television)
That wider objective is important in a region where women’s sport continues to face challenges involving funding, infrastructure, visibility, player development and access to high-level competition.
A tournament that regularly attracts clubs from several West African countries can provide players with opportunities to test themselves against different playing styles while also giving coaches, scouts and other basketball stakeholders a broader view of emerging talent.
From grassroots development to regional competition
The Louis Edem Foundation has increasingly positioned basketball as a vehicle for youth development rather than solely as a competitive sport.
In January 2026, the foundation organised a Women’s Under-18 Basketball Camp in Jos, where young female players took part in basketball training, mentorship and leadership-development activities. Four participants were also awarded academic scholarships. (Channels Television)
The approach creates a potential pathway from grassroots development to elite competition: young athletes can be identified and mentored at an early age before progressing into higher levels of the sport.
The senior women’s championship complements that strategy by giving established players a regional stage on which to compete.
For Nigeria, the importance of such competitions also extends to the national team pipeline. The country’s women’s basketball programme has enjoyed considerable success in recent years, with D’Tigress remaining one of Africa’s leading national teams. Strong domestic clubs such as MFM and First Bank provide an important foundation for identifying and developing players capable of competing at continental and international level.
What the MFM victory means
MFM’s inaugural Louis Edem title gives the club another significant achievement and establishes its name as the first women’s champion of the competition.
For First Bank, the defeat represents a setback in the final but does not diminish the club’s longstanding contribution to Nigerian women’s basketball. The team remains one of the country’s historic basketball institutions and an important part of the domestic competitive structure.
The significance of the final therefore goes beyond the result.
It reflects the continuing development of women’s basketball in Nigeria and the increasing ambition to build competitions capable of connecting Nigerian teams with their West African counterparts.
The tournament also offers a model for how private foundations and sports stakeholders can complement established league structures by creating additional competitive opportunities for players.
For MFM, however, the immediate focus will be on the achievement itself.
By overcoming First Bank in the final, the Lagos-based side have secured the inaugural women’s Louis Edem West Africa Basketball Championship and written their name into the competition’s history.
The victory provides MFM with another regional milestone and gives the newly established championship a Nigerian champion capable of setting a benchmark for future editions.
As the Louis Edem Foundation seeks to expand the competition, the inaugural women’s tournament could become an important fixture on the West African basketball calendar — particularly if organisers maintain their focus on competitive quality, regional participation, youth development and meaningful opportunities for female athletes.
For now, MFM stand as the first champions.
Their victory over First Bank has given the inaugural women’s edition the kind of competitive conclusion that can help establish the Louis Edem Championship as a credible platform for the continued growth of women’s basketball across West Africa.
Sources
- Channels Television — “Ex-D’Tigers Star Edem Launches Basketball Tournament For Women” — Background on the 2026 Women’s West Africa Basketball Championship, its dates, venue and development objectives.
- PUNCH — “Edem launches West Africa basketball tourney in Lagos” — Tournament announcement, participating countries and foundation programmes.
- The Guardian Nigeria — “Organisers move Louis Edem West Africa Basketball Championship to Lagos” — Background on the Louis Edem Championship and the foundation’s basketball-development commitment.
- The Sun Nigeria — “Louis Edem Foundation announces Women’s West Africa Basketball Championship 2026” — Additional background on the inaugural women’s championship.
- TheCable — “First Bank to face MFM in W’African women basketball tourney final” — Historical context on the First Bank–MFM rivalry in women’s basketball.
- Louis Edem Foundation — Championship information and participating teams — Official tournament background and foundation information.
