Akwa Ibom State is set to leverage sports as a driver of tourism and gender inclusion as the Ibom Golf and Country Club tees off its maiden Ladies Golf Championship on Friday at the Ibom Icon and Golf Resort, Uyo.
The two-day tournament, themed “Bloom,” is strategically positioned to elevate the profile of women in golf while attracting national attention to the state’s growing capacity to host elite sporting events.
At a pre-tournament briefing on Thursday, Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Mrs Aniekan Essienette, said the championship will feature over 100 participants, including about 60 female golfers, with entries open to players with handicaps between 0 and 28. She added that veteran golfers aged 55 and above will also compete, reflecting the expanding appeal of the sport.
According to her, beyond determining the state’s top female golfer, the initiative is aimed at inspiring more women to take up the sport, discovering new talents, and reinforcing Akwa Ibom’s positioning as a viable destination for sports tourism.
She commended sponsors including Hensek Engineering Services, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and Ibom Air for supporting the championship.
Club Captain, Mr Isua Archibong, described the event as a major milestone, noting the steady rise in female participation in the club over the past two decades.
“Twenty years ago, we had fewer than four ladies in this club. Today, we are hosting a championship of this magnitude. It shows that golf in Akwa Ibom has grown beyond being a male-dominated space,” he said.
Archibong also credited successive administrations, particularly Governor Umo Eno, for sustaining a peaceful environment that has enabled the club and the state’s tourism sector to thrive.
Lady Captain Maryann Cephas disclosed that the event will host key figures in women’s golf, including the President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, Mrs Lami Ahmed, alongside other national executives and representatives from clubs across the country.
On the hospitality side, Head of Sales and Marketing at Ibom Icon Resort, Idorenyin Ekong, assured participants of world-class services, reaffirming the resort’s commitment to supporting women-focused initiatives.
Other stakeholders, including Ibom Air’s Group Manager for Corporate Affairs Services, Imelda Abah, and the team’s adviser, Lady Ime Edmund, expressed confidence in the success of the tournament, describing it as a boost to sports development and stakeholder collaboration in the state.
The championship will climax on Saturday with prize presentations, in what stakeholders anticipate could become a flagship annual event on Nigeria’s golfing calendar.