Remi Tinubu opens 20-nation African women's golf championship in Abuja
- The First Lady declared the 2026 All-Africa Challenge Trophy open at the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja.
- Twenty African countries are taking part in the championship, which runs until Saturday, 7 November.
- She backed a project to introduce 300 Nigerian girls to golf across the six geopolitical zones.
Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, formally opened the 2026 All-Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) in Abuja on Tuesday, with female golfers from 20 African countries taking part in the five-day championship.
She performed the ceremonial tee-off at the IBB International Golf and Country Club as Grand Patron of the event, joined by members of Team Nigeria, the local organising committee and young girls taking part in a golf development programme.
The tournament, themed "Uniting Africa Through the Greens", ends on Saturday, 7 November. It is the third time Nigeria has hosted it, after 1996 and 2010.
Why it matters beyond the trophy
At the opening, Mrs Tinubu backed the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria's (LGAN) Girls in Golf Legacy Project, which aims to introduce 300 girls to the sport across the country's six geopolitical zones.
She said the scheme would open doors for a new generation of female golfers. "As a mother and advocate for women and girls, I commend the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria for the Girls in Golf Legacy Project," she said, adding that it would create opportunities for young girls nationwide.
The First Lady described Nigeria's third turn as host as proof of the confidence African golfing bodies have in the country. She said the theme showed how sport can cross borders and cultures, and urged the players to compete with discipline and sportsmanship.
She also invited visiting teams and officials to see Nigeria's landmarks and experience its hospitality while they are in the country.
The LGAN president, named in reports as Dr Lami Ahmed and as Dr Lami Onayi, said the association bid for the event two years ago and that the size of the task had looked daunting at first. She said bringing the championship to Abuja was partly about showing a different side of Nigeria to visitors.
AACT President Cecile Poncet said the competition is about more than winning, pointing to the friendships and experience it builds among African women golfers. She noted that the association holds elections in 2026, a year she said offers a chance to review its progress and direction.
The ceremony also honoured former AACT president Monika Ntege, who recently died, with a moment of silence. Nigeria Golf Federation president Otunba Segun Runsewe also spoke at the event, stressing golf's role in promoting unity and wider participation.
What happens next
The golfers will compete for the team title for the rest of the week, with the championship closing on Saturday. The girls who took part in the opening ceremony are expected to be among the first beneficiaries of the development programme.
