January 26, (THEWILL) — When more than a 100 golfers converged on Bonny Island in Rivers State this January for the 2025 NLNG Golf Classic, they represented a curious anomaly in Nigerian sport. Whilst football dominates the national consciousness and athletics commands international attention, golf persists as a meticulously organised pursuit that exists almost entirely outside public view. The sixth edition of this corporate-sponsored tournament, held at a course accessible only by careful planning and considerable expense, encapsulates both the resilience and the limitations of a sport that has occupied Nigerian greens for more than a century yet remains resolutely niche.
The tournament’s results tell a story of competitive rigour within a small community. Murtala Saleh claimed the Men’s Division One title with a net score of 68, edging out Peter Igbi on countback after recording identical scores. Saleh’s victory carries particular interest given that he has played golf for fewer than three years, having previously concentrated on football and tennis. His rapid ascent suggests that talent can flourish when combined with structured practice and mentorship, even within a sport often perceived as resistant to newcomers. In the Ladies’ Division One, Lady Gladys Tobin prevailed with a net score of 75, defeating the defending champion Kafayat Bamimore by a single stroke. Such narrow margins characterised much of the competition, with Sonny Fombo recording the tournament’s best net performance of 65 in Men’s Division Two.
The Bonny Island Golf Club captain, Abubakar Hussaini, secured the best gross score prize with 80, whilst former lady captain Nnena Ahube claimed the equivalent honour among women. Technical awards recognised specific skills: Charles Uleh and Ochade Ajabor won longest drive honours, Joshua Anemeje and Bridget Ogwah took straightest drive prizes, and Emmanuel Onyekwena and Dr Atiemie Braide-Lolomari succeeded in nearest-to-the-pin competitions. These categories highlight the multifaceted nature of golfing excellence and ensure that prowess in particular aspects of the game receives recognition beyond overall scoring.
Corporate sponsorship remains essential to sustaining such events. The positioning of golf as a networking tool rather than mass entertainment reflects a pragmatic understanding of the sport’s function in Nigeria and an opening for corporate bodies to chime in. The tournament’s rescheduling from late 2025 to early January 2026 to accommodate the valedictory activities of the company’s outgoing managing director underscores how closely these sporting events align with corporate calendars and priorities.
This contemporary scene exists against a historical backdrop stretching to the early 20th century. Golf arrived in Nigeria through British colonial influence, with European officials and sailors establishing the earliest courses. The Kano Golf Club, founded in 1908, stands as West Africa’s oldest, whilst records indicate that Sapele Golf Course dates to either 1898 or 1908, depending on the source consulted. Other pioneering venues include Rayfield Golf Course in Jos from 1913, Kaduna from 1921, and Ikoyi in 1938. Port Harcourt Golf Course acquired land in 1928 for a 30-year term. These facilities initially served exclusively European populations, though Nigerian participation began gradually after the 1914 amalgamation of northern and southern protectorates, with figures such as Chief Anthony Enahoro among the early African players.
The colonial legacy remains visible in contemporary Nigerian golf. The sport’s distribution across the country reflects administrative centres established during British rule rather than natural patterns of sporting development. Membership structures, fee requirements, and course access protocols continue to mirror exclusivity embedded in the sport’s origins. This historical weight combines with practical realities to limit golf’s expansion. Nigeria possesses approximately 60 courses, many of them nine-hole layouts requiring significant maintenance investment. A 2012 estimate suggested 200,000 players nationally, though participation may have increased modestly since then.
Financial barriers constrain access substantially. Equipment costs, club membership fees, and course maintenance expenses place golf beyond reach for most Nigerians. Unlike football, which can be played informally with minimal resources, golf demands specialised spaces and tools. This reality shapes demographics fundamentally, with most participants entering the sport as adults through professional networks rather than youth development systems. The perception that golf suits only the wealthy becomes self-reinforcing when practical barriers confirm such assumptions.
Institutional challenges compound accessibility issues. The Professional Golfers’ Association of Nigeria has faced leadership difficulties and struggles to organise major events. The Nigerian Open, which ran from the late 1960s to the late 1990s and briefly achieved international tour status during the 1990s under General Sani Abacha’s support, has disappeared from calendars. Its absence removed Nigeria’s most visible connection to professional golf’s global circuits. Long-standing amateur tournaments such as the FirstBank Lagos Amateur Open, with more than 60 years of continuity, and the Nigeria Cup, which marks independence annually, maintain competitive opportunities but lack the profile to drive broader participation.
Nevertheless, signs of development emerge. Recent course redesigns at venues including Rayfield in Jos indicate ongoing investment. States such as Plateau and Edo have sent significant numbers to qualifying schools, with Plateau contributing 13 entrants and Edo nine in one recent session. The Nigeria Golf Federation, under Olusegun Runsewe, has emphasised grassroots initiatives aimed at identifying young talent and increasing female participation to 15 per cent or higher.
The National Sports Commission has endorsed these objectives as aligning with broader early sports development goals. Donations from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews have provided equipment for beginners, whilst proposals include sending players abroad for training and targeting Nigerian representation at major championships within two years.
Several Nigerian golfers have achieved international recognition. Georgia Oboh, born in England to Nigerian parents, represents Nigeria on the Ladies European Tour, having won the 2015 United States Kids World Championship and competed across Europe and North Africa. Oche Odoh holds the title of Nigeria’s most decorated professional, whilst Sunday Olapade ranks as the top male player and has secured spots in Dubai Ports World Tour events. Grace Agbo leads efforts to democratise access among female players. These individuals demonstrate that talent exists despite limited infrastructure.
The 2025 NLNG Golf Classic ultimately illustrates golf’s peculiar position in Nigerian sport. It functions effectively within defined boundaries, corporate sponsorship enables well-organised competitions, dedicated participants maintain competitive standards, and established clubs provide suitable venues. Yet these same structures ensure the sport remains largely invisible to the majority of Nigerians who cannot access membership, equipment, or courses. Golf persists in Nigeria not despite its exclusivity but, paradoxically, because of the institutional support that exclusivity attracts. Whether this model can evolve to embrace wider participation without losing the corporate patronage that sustains it remains the central question facing Nigerian golf’s future.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
