The 54-hole Nigeria Closed of the 2026 Lakowe Lakes Classic teed off on Monday at the par-72 Lakowe Lakes Golf Club, with more than 150 professional golfers expected to compete across the two-stage tournament.
The Nigeria Closed offers a N30m prize purse, while the international leg, scheduled for Oct. 2 to Oct. 4, will feature a $50,000 prize purse and World Golf Ranking points.
Professional golfers from more than 12 African countries are expected to join Nigeria’s leading players for the international competition, with participants drawn from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Ghana, Cameroon, Togo, The Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Zambia.
Adding further incentive to the international leg, CIG Motor is offering a brand-new electric car to the overall winner.
The Nigeria Closed will give local professionals the opportunity to compete for substantial prize money before the arrival of the wider continental field for the international tournament.
Former Nigeria number one golfer Oche Odoh described the hosting of the Sunshine Development Tour events in Nigeria as a significant development for the country’s professional golfers.
‘This partnership is a major boost for professional golf in Nigeria. Our players are the biggest beneficiaries because they now have more opportunities to compete internationally, improve their games and earn ranking points without always travelling outside the country,’ Odoh said.
The international leg is also expected to provide Nigerian golfers with an opportunity to measure themselves against professionals from across Africa while competing for ranking points on home soil.