Joel Ajayi

With just 25 days to the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), attention is turning to Nigeria’s growing women’s golf movement as the country prepares to host Africa’s premier women’s team golf championship in Abuja.

The return of the AACT to Nigeria is coming at a significant moment for women’s golf, with increasing participation, stronger competition and emerging opportunities for women across different aspects of the sport.

Nigeria secured the hosting rights in 2024 under the leadership of then President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), Evelyn Oyome, who led the Nigerian delegation that successfully presented the country’s bid.

As Nigeria prepares to welcome Africa to Abuja for the third time, Oyome believes the championship provides an important platform to showcase the progress made by women in Nigerian golf.

According to her, the growth goes beyond the increasing number of women competing on the golf course, as more women are now building careers as coaches, captains, administrators and professionals within the sport.

The development has also been reflected in rising participation at golf tournaments across the country, with more women and girls becoming involved in competitive golf.

A major example was the 2025 IBB International Golf and Country Club Ladies Open, which attracted more than 450 amateur and professional golfers from over 50 clubs across Nigeria, as well as participants from other African countries.

The increasing number of participants, according to stakeholders, demonstrates the growing appetite for women’s golf and the potential for the sport to produce more competitive players capable of representing Nigeria internationally.

Competitions, grassroots programmes and talent-development initiatives have also contributed to the expansion of the sport, with stakeholders increasingly focusing on taking golf to more regions and encouraging younger girls to embrace the game.

For Oyome, the significance of hosting the AACT extends beyond the organisation of a continental championship.

She believes the event presents Nigeria with an opportunity to demonstrate the progress of its women’s golf programme, expose local players to the best golfers on the continent and inspire a new generation of girls to consider golf as both a sporting and professional pathway.

Nigeria has a strong history with the AACT, having hosted the championship for the first time in 1996 at Ikoyi Club 1938 before staging the tournament again in 2010 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

The 2026 edition will therefore mark the third time Nigeria has hosted the prestigious championship, further strengthening the country’s position as an important destination for major golf events in Africa.

The tournament is expected to provide a major platform for Nigeria’s women golfers to compete against leading players from across the continent while showcasing the country’s organisational capacity and growing golf infrastructure.

With only 25 days remaining before the opening of the championship, the countdown is also highlighting the wider transformation taking place within Nigerian women’s golf.

From players competing at amateur level to women taking up leadership and professional roles, the sport is gradually creating a broader ecosystem that can support participation, career development and long-term growth.

The 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy will hold from November 2 to 7 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, bringing together women golfers from across Africa for a week of elite team competition.

As the countdown continues, Nigeria is preparing not only to host Africa but to showcase a women’s golf movement that is growing in participation, experience, leadership and ambition.

25 DAYS TO GO. AFRICA IS COMING TO ABUJA.

The AACT 2026 countdown continues.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Share

Share

Share

Share

Share