Port Harcourt is buzzing with anticipation as 39 legal teams gear up to trade their courtroom suits for football jerseys this August. The Nigerian Bar Association is fine-tuning its final preparations for the 2026 President’s Cup, a highly competitive tournament anchoring the buildup to the upcoming Annual General Conference.
With 30 men’s teams and nine women’s teams confirmed for the showdown, the stakes are remarkably high. Zoyols News can report that participants are not just playing for pride, but also for a massive 20 million Naira total prize pool, reflecting a significant boost in the tournament’s profile.
The layout of the competition promises intense action from the opening whistle on August 17 through to the finals on August 25. The men’s division features branches split across five distinct groups, while the women’s teams will battle it out in three groups.
Speaking shortly after the official draws were conducted in Abuja, Musa Lawal, the Chairman of the NBA Sports and Recreation Committee, emphasized that the tournament serves a much deeper purpose than simple athletic competition. Lawal noted that the intense, around-the-clock nature of legal practice often leaves lawyers with virtually no time for personal wellness or relaxation. This tournament, he explained, gives colleagues from completely different corners of the country a rare chance to keep fit, let off steam, and network with peers they might otherwise never cross paths with throughout their entire careers.
The association has backed this vision with a substantial financial upgrade, increasing the tournament’s prize earnings by over 150 percent.The ultimate winners in both the men’s and women’s categories will walk away with 5 million Naira each. The second-place finishers will take home 3 million Naira, while the third-place teams will secure 2 million Naira. Football will also share the spotlight with a variety of other sports scheduled for the conference, including swimming, table tennis, and scrabble.
Echoing the enthusiasm for the event, Olabisi Makanjuola, the Alternate Chairman of the Sports Subcommittee for the conference, described sports as the ultimate equalizer and a unifying force capable of bridging geographical and professional divides within the bar.
However, getting dozens of teams to Rivers State comes with its own set of hurdles. Makanjuola pointed out that several local branches are grappling with the heavy financial realities of transporting and accommodating their players in Port Harcourt. In light of this, he issued an appeal to corporate organizations and stakeholders to step in with sponsorship. Makanjuola noted that backing the tournament would drastically ease the logistical strain on the participating lawyers while providing corporate partners with immense visibility at one of the legal community’s largest annual assemblies.
