The Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic will receive a major boost this year with Oando Nigeria Plc coming on board as main sponsor, an enhanced prize purse that has raised the profile of the event and drawn top professionals from across Africa’s Sunshine Development Tour and other regional circuits.
The championship will be staged in two phases at Lakowe Lakes Golf and Country Estate, Lagos. The Nigeria Closed runs from 28-30 September, open to Nigerian professionals competing for a N30 million purse.
Attention then shifts to the international phase, from 2-4 October, featuring an expanded field of African professionals competing for $50,000 in prize money and World Ranking points.
Lakowe Lakes Manager, Femi Olagbenro, said Oando’s involvement reinforces the championship’s long-term objective of creating stronger competitive opportunities for Nigerian professionals.
‘The Lakowe Lakes Classic continues to champion the development of professional golf in Nigeria. Oando shares our vision of creating opportunities that allow our local stars to compete at a higher level, test themselves against Africa’s best and earn the recognition their talent deserves,’ he said.
Other partners in the event include GAC Motors, ARM Investment Managers, and Providus Bank, among others.
The international field is expected to feature leading Nigerian professionals alongside players from Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya and other African golfing nations.
Nigeria’s headline entrants include Olapade Sunday, Godwin Okoko, Andrew Odoh, Solomon Ideria, Francis Epe and Tajudeen Ajayi, several of whom have gained international experience on the Sunshine Development Tour.
Nigerian professional golfer Olapade Sunday said hosting an international-ranking event on home soil marks a major shift for the domestic game.
‘There is always something special about competing at home, but this is bigger than just playing in Nigeria,’ he said. ‘Events like this give our players the opportunity to compete internationally, earn ranking points and put Nigeria more firmly on the world golf map. We are excited about the quality of the field and what this means for professional golf in the country.’
With increased prize money, international participation and World Ranking points at stake, the Oando-backed Lakowe Lakes Classic is positioning itself as a key platform connecting Nigeria’s leading professionals with the wider African and global golf ecosystem.