{"id":2487,"date":"2026-06-30T17:48:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:48:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/nigerias-26th-milo-school-basketball-finalists-set-after-months-of-grassroots-play\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T17:48:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T14:48:09","slug":"nigerias-26th-milo-school-basketball-finalists-set-after-months-of-grassroots-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/nigerias-26th-milo-school-basketball-finalists-set-after-months-of-grassroots-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria\u2019s 26th MILO School Basketball Finalists Set After Months of Grassroots Play"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>After months of competition that involved more than 13,000 secondary schools across Nigeria, MILO has named the twelve teams set to take part in the National Finals of the 26th MILO School Basketball Championship (MSBC), underlining its ongoing drive to use sport to strengthen young people\u2019s confidence, resilience, discipline and leadership.<\/p>\n<h2>26th MSBC: from grassroots reach to national finals<\/h2>\n<p>Launched in 1999, the MILO School Basketball Championship has grown into one of Nigeria\u2019s most enduring grassroots sports development programmes. It has expanded from an early stage featuring fewer than 500 schools to a national event that now draws participation from more than 13,000 secondary schools every year, giving young athletes a chance to sharpen their basketball skills while also building life capabilities to help them succeed beyond the court.<\/p>\n<h2>Finalists confirmed and group stage fixtures set<\/h2>\n<p>The twelve finalists were determined through qualification events held across the Savannah, Central, Atlantic and Western Conferences. The finals will feature six boys\u2019 teams and six girls\u2019 teams competing for national honours, with the championship finals scheduled for 2 July 2026 at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos. The National Draw\u2014conducted during the event\u2014set the fixtures for the group stage.<\/p>\n<h3>Boys\u2019 groups<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Group A: Father O\u2019Connell Science College (Niger State), King Amakree Academy (Rivers State), and Government Secondary School, Gwarinpa Life Camp (FCT).<\/li>\n<li>Group B: Davidhall International College (Lagos State), Family Support Programme Secondary School (Katsina State), and Urhobo College (Delta State).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Girls\u2019 groups<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Group A: Lanreleke Academy (Osun State), St. Jude\u2019s Girls Secondary School (Bayelsa State), and Government Secondary School, Gboko (Benue State).<\/li>\n<li>Group B: Ado Grammar School (Ekiti State), Urhobo College (Delta State), and Government Girls College (Bauchi State).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Officials praise youth development push as tournament continues<\/h2>\n<p>Speaking at the event, Wassim Elhusseini, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nestl\u00e9 Nigeria PLC, took part through Commercial Director Boladale Odunlami, reiterating the company\u2019s dedication to creating opportunities that support the overall growth of young Nigerians.<\/p>\n<p>Odunlami highlighted the importance of the non-academic side of development, stressing that young people need chances to build teamwork, resilience, leadership and the confidence to overcome challenges. He added that the MILO School Basketball Championship continues to invest in sport as a pathway to produce not only skilled athletes, but also resilient, self-assured young leaders ready for success both on and off the court.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The championship\u2019s long-term influence was also linked to the emergence of prominent Nigerian basketball talents, including Precious Achiuwa, Chukwudi Maduabum and Nkechi Akashili, who have gone on to represent Nigeria internationally.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gilbert Tweneboah Koduah, Category Manager at MILO, reflected on the competition\u2019s journey across its 26-year history. He said the tournament began with a straightforward goal: to provide a stage for young Nigerians to discover their abilities, grow in confidence and develop the qualities associated with champions, both during matches and in everyday life.<\/p>\n<p>Mrs. Olabisi Joseph, President of the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF), praised Nestl\u00e9 Nigeria for maintaining its commitment to youth development through sport. She pointed to the steady rise in participation as evidence of the value the championship brings to schools and communities across the country, noting that it repeatedly gives young people opportunities to compete, learn, build confidence and develop traits that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. She also commended Nestl\u00e9 Nigeria for its consistency and long-term dedication to supporting young Nigerians through sport.<\/p>\n<p>The event was attended by Lanre Balogun, General Secretary of the Nigeria Collegiate Sports Federation (NCSF), and Mr. Olusola Okanlawon, representing the National Association of Special Educators. Coaches, teachers, participating schools, media partners and other key stakeholders were also present.<\/p>\n<h2>Road to the finals: group matches, clinics and matchday schedule<\/h2>\n<p>The pathway to the National Finals is already in motion. Group stage matches began on 27 June 2026 and are continuing alongside a Coaching Clinic and Vibes Day, which are intended to support the development of both young athletes and their coaches.<\/p>\n<p>The tournament will reach its climax in the National Finals on 2 July 2026 at the Indoor Sports Hall, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After months of competition that involved more than 13,000 secondary schools across Nigeria, MILO has named the twelve teams set to take part in the National Finals of the 26th MILO School Basketball Championship (MSBC), underlining its ongoing drive to use sport to strengthen young people\u2019s confidence, resilience, discipline and leadership. 26th MSBC: from grassroots [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2486,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"26th MILO School Basketball Finalists: 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Over four years, she helped evolve the platform from a simple blog into one of South Africa\u2019s leading independent entertainment news sites. Following ZAlebs\u2019 transition to Celebrity Worx in 2016, Zibuyile was promoted to Executive Editor, recognized for her sharp audience insight and ability to match editorial with branded content. Highlights of her time include a Bookmark Award nomination, judging TLC\u2019s Next Great Presenter, reporting from the MTV EMAs, and building partnerships with radio stations like YFM, Cliff Central, and Good Hope FM. Her editorial work also expanded to include fast-growing digital verticals\u2014such as lifestyle tech, online entertainment, and gambling-related content\u2014tailored to evolving reader interests and brand opportunities.","sameAs":["https:\/\/za.linkedin.com\/in\/zibuyile-dladla-9a26628a"],"url":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/author\/zibuyile-dladla\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}