No fewer than 39 teams will compete for honours in the 2026 Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President’s Cup football tournament as the association intensifies preparations for its Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.

The tournament, featuring 30 men’s teams and nine women’s teams, will hold from August 17 to 25, with participants battling for a total prize pool of N20 million.

Speaking after the draw in Abuja, Chairman of the NBA Sports and Recreation Committee, Musa Lawal, said the competition is aimed at promoting physical fitness, recreation and stronger professional relationships among lawyers across the country.

He said the men’s category comprises 30 branches drawn into five groups, while the women’s event features nine teams divided into three groups.

According to Lawal, the President’s Cup is more than a football competition, as it provides lawyers with an opportunity to unwind from the demands of legal practice while building friendships and expanding their professional networks.

“As lawyers, we are very busy. Sometimes we work round the clock and hardly have time for exercise or relaxation. This competition enables us to keep fit and also interact with colleagues from branches across Nigeria whom we may never have met despite years in practice,” he said.

Lawal disclosed that the NBA had increased the tournament’s prize money by more than 150 per cent. Winners in both the men’s and women’s categories will receive N5 million each, while the runners-up will earn N3 million and third-place finishers N2 million.

He added that football is one of several sporting events lined up for the conference, with table tennis, scrabble, swimming and other games expected to feature.

Also speaking, Alternate Chairman of the Sports Subcommittee for the 2026 NBA Annual General Conference, Olabisi Makanjuola, described sports as a unifying force capable of bringing lawyers together irrespective of geographical or professional differences.

He said the competition would enable participants to remain physically fit, build friendships and strengthen professional ties while taking part in the annual conference.

Makanjuola appealed to corporate organisations and other stakeholders to sponsor the tournament, noting that many NBA branches face financial challenges in transporting and accommodating their teams in Port Harcourt.

He said sponsorship would ease the logistical burden on participating teams while offering partner organisations significant visibility during one of the association’s biggest annual gatherings.