First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Tuesday formally opened the 2026 All-Africa Challenge Trophy, using the ceremonial tee-off at the IBB International Golf and Country Club to press for greater investment in women’s golf and youth development across the continent.
The five-day championship, themed “Uniting Africa Through the Greens,” has drawn teams from 20 African countries to Abuja, where the continent’s leading female amateur golfers will compete for continental honors.
Mrs. Tinubu, the tournament’s grand patron, said Nigeria’s third hosting of the event reflected the confidence of Africa’s golfing community and framed the competition as more than a sporting contest.
She said golf could bridge geographic and cultural divides while promoting friendship and a shared African identity.
She also endorsed the Ladies Golfers Association of Nigeria’s Girls in Golf Legacy Project, which aims to introduce 300 young girls to golf across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The initiative is intended to expand opportunities for a new generation of female players and deepen women’s participation in sport.
“As a mother and advocate for women and girls, I commend the Ladies Golfers Association of Nigeria for the Girls in Golf Legacy Project,” Mrs. Tinubu said.
The First Lady noted that the program could “open new opportunities for the next generation.”
LGAN President Lami Ahmed described hosting the championship as a major responsibility, noting that Nigeria secured the rights after a bid launched two years ago. Nigeria previously staged the tournament in 1996 and 2010.
Ahmed said Abuja was chosen partly to present a different view of Nigeria to international visitors and to align with President Bola Tinubu’s push to position sport as a tool for national and continental unity.
The First Lady’s involvement has provided a significant boost to the association’s development agenda, Ahmed said.
The LGAN has also received support for the championship and its youth programs, including a donation from Mrs. Tinubu reported at 100 million naira.
AACT President Cecile Poncet said the tournament was intended to build friendships, share experience and celebrate African women golfers, while calling for broader participation and greater recognition for the women’s game.
She also urged member countries to preserve the association’s founding vision and create pathways for emerging players.
The championship opened after a minute’s silence for former AACT President Monika Ntege, who recently died.
For organizers, the broader prize may lie beyond the leaderboard: the 2026 edition is designed to leave behind a more durable pipeline for women’s golf in Nigeria, with the 300-girl initiative positioned as one of its principal legacies.
