The Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) has announced plans to launch the maiden edition of the Oba Saheed Elegushi Open Golf Championship as part of efforts to deepen competitive golf and create more opportunities for Nigerian players.
NGF President, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, disclosed this at the second Nigeria Golf Federation Stakeholders and Golfers Summit in Abuja, which brought together representatives of more than 46 golf clubs and other stakeholders.
Runsewe said the championship would honour His Royal Highness, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi, while providing a platform to promote the sport and strengthen the competitive golfing structure in the country.
He also called for stronger collaboration among golfers, clubs, government, sponsors and private-sector investors to unlock the potential of Nigerian golf.
Oba Elegushi, who was the Royal Father of the Day, welcomed the honour and commended the federation for bringing stakeholders together to deliberate on the future of the sport.
‘I am delighted to be part of this important programme, and I commend the NGF for creating a platform to collectively discuss the future of golf,’ he said.
The monarch urged golfers to remain united and uphold the ethics and values of the game, stressing that Nigeria possesses the population, talent and private-sector capacity to build world-class golf facilities.
He challenged Nigerians to invest more in domestic golf infrastructure rather than spending heavily travelling abroad to play.
‘We have Nigerians who believe in golf and have the capacity to invest. If we come together, we can develop our own facilities to international standards,’ Elegushi said.
According to him, sustained investment in golf infrastructure would not only improve the standard of the sport but also create opportunities in sports tourism, employment and the wider economy.
Expressing appreciation to the NGF for naming the tournament after him, Elegushi pledged his support towards its success.
‘I will do everything within my capacity to make the tournament a success and ensure it becomes one of a kind in Nigeria,’ he said.
He further promised to mobilise relevant stakeholders to help establish the championship as a prestigious fixture on Nigeria’s golfing calendar.
Runsewe said the Open would give golfers an opportunity to compete at a high level while advancing the federation’s broader development agenda. He urged corporate organisations and potential sponsors to support the tournament and other initiatives targeting the growth of Nigerian golf.
The summit, themed ‘Finding the Fairway: Sustainable Growth and Youth Development,’ examined grassroots development, youth empowerment, governance, infrastructure and Nigeria’s international competitiveness.