Calabar is set to become the centre of women’s football in Nigeria as it hosts the 2026 Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship, where ambitious clubs will battle for promotion to the country’s top division.
The championship, which features leading teams from the Nationwide Division, will serve as the promotion playoff to the NWFL Premiership.
The week-long competition is scheduled to take place from Thursday, July 9 to Thursday, July 16, 2026.
A total of 16 teams will compete for two coveted promotion spots to the elite women’s league, with every match expected to play a crucial role in determining the next top-flight clubs.
While two teams will celebrate promotion at the end of the tournament, the stakes are equally high at the bottom, as the three lowest-ranked teams will be relegated to the NWFL Nationwide Division.
The championship is expected to showcase emerging talents and reinforce the continued growth of women’s football in Nigeria as clubs chase a place among the nation’s elite.
