The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) has confirmed that the 2025 NWFL Championship, the nation’s second-tier women’s league competition, will hold in Abia State from 11 to 21 September; a decisive tournament that will shape the next campaign of women’s elite football in Nigeria.
This year’s edition continues the NWFL’s busy 2025 calendar, following the successful staging of the 2024/25 Premiership Super Six earlier in Ikenne.
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Unlike the glamour of the Premiership, however, the Championship remains the most competitive proving ground, a brutal promotion battleground where only four clubs will climb into the top flight.
Tournament structure and pledge of fairness
Confirming the development on Monday, 18 August, NWFL Chief Operating Officer Modupe Shabi revealed that 17 clubs have registered for the tournament and will be drawn into four groups ahead of kick-off.
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“We want to assure all participating teams that the Championship will be conducted under the highest standards of fair play, with a level playing ground for everyone involved,” Ms Shabi stated.
“Our commitment is to ensure that the competition reflects the values of transparency, integrity, and sporting excellence.”
Clubs are expected to arrive in Abia State on 11 September, with the draws and pre-match meetings scheduled for the following day. Matchday One kicks off 13 September and fixtures will run until 21 September, with rest days between matchdays to support player recovery.
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At the end of the group stage, only the winners of each group will gain automatic promotion to the NWFL Premiership for the 2025/26 season.
Venues and Atmosphere
All matches will be staged at two venues: the Abiriba Stadium and the Umuahia Township Stadium, both in Abia State.
The choice of Abia further strengthens the South-East’s growing reputation as a hub for grassroots and women’s football, coming after recent hosting rights for national youth tournaments.
The local government and football administrators are expected to leverage the competition to boost attendance, community engagement, and visibility for women’s football in a region where investment and infrastructure have long been overdue.
The Teams
A total of 17 clubs will contest the 2025 Championship:
1. Sunshine Queens FC
2. Osun Babes FC
3. Royal Queens FC
4. Pelican Stars FC
5. Ghetto Tigers FC
6. Wazbak Int’l FC
7. Castmog Ladies FC
8. Chosen Generation Angels FC
9. Imo Striker Queens FC
10. Unification FC
11. Delta Babes FC
12. Ahudiyannem Queens FC
13. First Mahi Babes FC
14. Fortress Ladies FC
15. Kwara Ladies FC
16. Moje Queens FC
17. Gallant Queens FC
Why the Championship matters
The NWFL Championship has historically been the toughest stage for aspiring clubs. Former Premiership sides such as Sunshine Queens and Pelican Stars, once giants of the top flight, now find themselves battling for survival in the second tier; proof of how unforgiving Nigerian women’s football can be.
READ ALSO: NWFL Super Six: N24.5m prize pool unveiled as title race goes to the wire
Promotion from the Championship is often a catalyst for club rebirth. In recent years, teams that clawed their way up have gone on to challenge the established order in the Premiership, injecting fresh rivalries and talent pipelines into the league.
Yet, persistent challenges remain: poor funding, limited broadcast reach, and infrastructural gaps have often overshadowed the technical quality on the pitch. Abia’s ability to host smoothly will be seen as another test of the NWFL’s capacity to professionalise its competitions and expand women’s football credibility in Nigeria.
With four Premiership tickets on the line, the 2025 NWFL Championship is more than just a tournament; it is a survival contest for fallen giants and a dream stage for rising outfits.
For Abia, it is a chance to place women’s football firmly on the map; for the NWFL, it is an opportunity to prove that transparency and excellence can define the future of the women’s game in Nigeria.
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