Nigerian Premier League (basketball)

Format

The league usually spans from March till mid year. Each team plays a total of 14 games in a regular season after which the top four teams qualify for the Final Eight Playoffs which usually takes place at the National Stadium Surulere Lagos. The team at the bottom of the table in each conference is relegated from the league. Towards the end of the year, the Division 1 Championship is held to determine who will be promoted to the DSTV League for the new season. In the 2014 season, Royal Hoopers of Rivers State and Niger Potter of Nigers State were both relegated from the Atlantic and Savannah Conference respectively. Accordingly, the Delta Force and FCT Rocks were promoted to the league having won the Division 1 Championship in November 2014.

Amendments were made to the schedule of events this season. At the end of the season, the top six teams from each conference will play conference playoffs to determine the winner of each conference before the top four of each conference will play the Final Eight Playoffs to determine the league winner. This is to increase the number of games played by each team in a particular season.

History

The Nigerian Premier League was founded in 1995.

In 2017, Nigeria Basketball Federation reached an agreement with Kwese Sports for the title rights of the league. The deal runs till 2021, and it was worth $12 million.

Since 2021, the champions of the Premier League qualify directly for the regular season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), Africa's new first-tier created as a joint venture by the NBA and FIBA.

In the 2021 season, the league was organised by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports , after they earlier dissolved the caretaker committee of the NBBF. FIBA rules prohibit governments from intervening in federations, which is why the championship was ruled illegitimate. As a result, the 2021 champions Rivers Hoopers were excluded from participation in the 2022 BAL season.

Sponsorships

For sponsorship reasons the league has known several names in its existence. The league was sponsored by the DSTV until 2017, who had both title and TV rights through the contract agreement. The league was then referred to as the DSTV Premier Basketball League.

• 7up Premier League
• Vmobile Premier League (2006)
• DSTV Premier Basketball League (2017)

List of winners

1 The 2021 season was not organised by the NBBF, but by the Nigerian Ministry of Youth and Sports in a response to the lack of . FIBA did not recognise Rivers Hoopers as champions, which caused them to lose their place in the 2022 BAL season.

Titles by club

Clubs

Savannah Conference

Atlantic Conference

In the Basketball Africa League

The champions of the Nigerian Premier League qualify directly to the Basketball Africa League (BAL). Two teams, namely Rivers Hoopers and Kwara Falcons, have represented the country in the BAL thus far.

Individual awards

In some seasons, the NBBF has awarded individual awards to the best performing players of a given Premier League season.

Most Valuable Player

• 2009 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars
• 2011 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars
• 2012 – Azuoma Dike, Royal Hoopers
• 2013 – Azuoma Dike, Kano Pillars
• 2014 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars
• 2015 – Abdul Yahaya, Royal Hoopers
• 2016 – Abubakar Usman, Kano Pillars
• 2018 – Ibe Agu, Gombe Bulls
• 2019 – Abdul Yahaya, Rivers Hoopers
• 2021 – Anaiye Johnson, Rivers Hoopers
• 2024 – Kelvin Amayo, Rivers Hoopers
• 2025 – Patrick Abah, Lagos Legends

Finals Most Valuable Player

• 2017 – Nwafor Joseph, Kano Pillars
• 2021 – Victor Anthony Koko, Rivers Hoopers
• 2022 – Dada Samuel, Kwara Falcons

References

Notes

References

1. Akalonu, Eddie. (2002-09-01). "Nigeria: Islanders Kings Again". Vanguard.
2. Joshua, Odeyemi. (April 9, 2017). "NBBF unveils Kwese Sports as new league sponsor".
3. (2021-10-27). "Sports ministry dissolves NBBF caretaker committee".
4. (2022-02-15). "Why did Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers get booted out of the BAL?".
5. Ayinor, Pius. (2006-08-01). "Nigeria: Vmobile League - Peaks to Keep Trophy Forever". AllAfrica.com.
6. (2005-03-26). "Nigeria: Vmobile League: the Creation of Bumper Basketball". This Day.
7. (2025-11-25). "Lagos Legends are the 2025 Nigerial League champions".
8. (2024-11-19). "Rivers Hoopers are the 2024 Nigeria League champions".
9. Busari, Niyi. "Rivers Hoopers Crowned NBBF Final 4 Champions, Pick BAL Ticket".
10. Omoniyi, Oluwaferanmi. (2022-11-13). "NBBF Final 8: Kwara Falcons wins first title as High school student emereges MVP".
11. (18 November 2021). "Rivers Hoopers Knock Bulls to Claim Championship, BAL TIcket". Brila.net.
12. (18 November 2019). "River Hoopers win 2019 NBBF President's Cup, qualify for Basketball Africa League".
13. (9 October 2018). "Gombe Bulls win 2018 Kwese Basketball League, get N20m prize". Daily Trust.
14. "Basketball: Kano Pillars Clinch Kwese League title".
15. (June 28, 2016). "Kano Pillars Crowned Champions Of The 2016 DSTV Premier Basketball League".
16. "Mark Mentors Win DSTV Basketball League".
17. (August 15, 2015). "Mark Mentors Win DSTV Basketball League".
18. (September 8, 2013). "Basketball: Kano Pillars Emerge Champions of DSTV PBL".
19. (August 1, 2012). "Royal Hoopers Retain DStv Men's Basketball League Title".
20. "Kano Pillars Wins 2013 DSTV Basketball League".
21. (2008-11-03). "Nigeria - Kano Pillars win Premier Basketball League".
22. "Nigeria - Comets Win Premier League, Qualify for African Cup".
23. [https://allafrica.com/stories/200706190911.html]
24. "NGR - Comets, Customs in VMobile Premier League opener".
25. "Nigeria: Vmobile League: Final Table Reads Upside Down".
26. "Ebun Comets Lagos".
27. (2001-07-31). "Nigeria: Islanders Win 7-Up Basketball League Again". P.M. News (Lagos).
28. (2009-11-05). "NGR - Kano Pillars emerge Nigerian league champions".
29. (2011-05-26). "NGR - Nigeria name 16-man squad for training camp".
30. Afrbk: 15:50. "Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : Premier Basketball League: Royal Hoopers BC road to glory".
31. (2013-09-07). "Kano Pillars wins Nigerian Basketball league".
32. "Basketball in Africa: NIGERIA : MVP Usman Inspires Kano Pillars to Victory".
33. "Rivers Hoopers boost squad with Yahaya and Akita, set eyes on Elite 8".
34. "Nigeria new champions Kano Pillars qualify for FIBA Africa Champions Cup Zone 3 qualifier".
35. Moseph, Queen. (2018-10-10). "2018 my greatest in basketball - Abdulrahman Mohammed".
36. (2019-11-19). "Nigeria's Rivers Hoopers secure BAL ticket".
37. Saliu, Mohammed. (2021-11-18). "Rivers Hoopers Knock Bulls to Claim Championship, BAL TIcket".
38. "NWAFOR JOSEPHS DOUBLE DOUBLE COULDNT SECURE KANO PILLARS` FIRST WIN OF THE SERI MUTIARA CUP 2017".
39. "RiversHoopers/status/1460823515024793602".