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The Dolphins Basketball Club of Lagos has abruptly withdrawn its plans to host the upcoming FIBA Africa Zone 3 Women’s Basketball League Africa (WBLA) Qualifiers, citing a failure by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) to grant the necessary approval despite weeks of requests.
The tournament, which was scheduled to run from November 1 to 7, 2025, in Lagos, is now in jeopardy after the club’s management announced the decision in a press statement released Tuesday.
The Dolphins, who are the 2025 Zenith Bank Women’s Basketball League champions, had previously received the green light from FIBA Africa Zone 3 to host the event. The club stated that hosting would have provided a significant home-court advantage for Nigeria’s representatives and offered local fans a rare chance to witness international club basketball.
“Regrettably, the NBBF Executive has not granted the necessary approval for the hosting of the competition,” the club’s statement read, noting that the event would have come “at no cost to the NBBF.”
According to the Dolphins, the communication breakdown began after the NBBF first contacted the team on September 26, 2025. The club claims to have secured arrangements with corporate partners and diligently followed FIBA protocols, with their plans hinging only on the NBBF’s endorsement of the official Hosting Form.
“However, more than three weeks later, despite several calls, text messages, and reminder letters, no response has been received,” the statement continued.
With the tournament barely a week away, the club concluded that the NBBF’s silence was a de facto denial of their request. This lack of endorsement effectively blocks foreign teams from traveling to Nigeria, making hosting the event logistically impossible.
“No responsible National Federation should act in a manner that frustrates the efforts and ambitions of its own clubs and athletes,” the statement added, framing the decision as a significant blow to Nigerian basketball.
The club led by Olumide Oyedeji, as president issued a public apology to fans, partners, and stakeholders who had anticipated the event.
As of the time of reporting, the NBBF has not issued a public response to the Dolphins’ allegations or the cancellation of the hosting rights. The future of Nigeria’s participation in the qualifiers remains uncertain.
