Sports

Sports Minister Inspects Ikom Township Stadium

Published

3 years ago

November 6, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The Honourable Minster of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh on saturday embarked on an inspection of facilities in Ikom Township stadium in Cross Rivers State and expessed satisfaction at the state of facilities he met in the stadium.

The Minister who visited the stadium weekend where he met a sizeable number of residents of Ikom town and its environs engaged in different types of sporting activities inside the stadium. He said that he was impressed by the large turn out of sports loving citizens who thronged the stadium in numbers for the weekend exercise which has become a regular practice.

He said,” I am impressed with the turn out of men and women,boys and girls involved in different kinds ot sporting activities even if to keep fit. Fitness is one of the components that the Ministry of Sports Development would like to focus on.”

The Minister stated that a physically fit and mentally alert population is a productive one which in itself will reduce health hazards and pressure on our health facilities.

He praised Senator Liyel Imoke,the former Governor of Cross River state for the vision of building stadia at Ikom and Ogoja Local Government Area’s respectively.

Senator Owan Enoh who expressed his determination to make facilities more functional promised to leverage his engagements with the private sector to attract investments that will lead to the upgrade of sporting facilities in the stadium.

The Federal Government he stressed is currently saddled with maintaining its various facilities amidst enormous financial challenges. He promised to embark on inspection of the Ogoja and Calabar stadia very soon, to see first hand the state of the facilities.

” I leave here with very positive impressions, very determined and driven to see what the Federal Ministry of Sports Development can cause to happen here. My hope is that at the end of my tenure as minister of Sports Development,something significantly different would have happened to sports in our country”, he said.

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Sports

29 Days To AACT 2026: IBB Club Renewal Heralds Nigeria’s African Golf Showcase

Published

1 hour ago

October 4, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With 29 days to the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), Nigeria is stepping up preparations to host the continental women’s team golf championship, with the extensive rehabilitation of the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja providing a major boost to the country’s readiness.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja Director of Communication AACT 2026, Kayode Adeniyi said the Club’s Board of Trustees has assured that the facility will be fully prepared to welcome golfers, officials and delegates from across Africa when the championship tees off on November 2.

Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, CFR, gave the assurance after inspecting ongoing rehabilitation works at the Club, expressing satisfaction with the progress recorded so far.

The IBB International Golf and Country Club has undergone extensive rehabilitation following its closure to regular golfing activities for more than a year. The intervention has focused on the golf course, selected holes, the clubhouse and other key facilities required to provide a befitting venue for the continental championship.

Justice Dongban-Mensem expressed confidence that the rehabilitation programme would be completed in time for the AACT, further reassuring stakeholders that the Club would be ready to host Africa’s leading female golfers.

Chairman of the Club’s Interim Management Committee, Peter Deshi, also expressed optimism over the progress of work, with regular golfing activities expected to resume ahead of the championship.

For the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), the readiness of the host venue remains a critical component of the country’s preparations.

President of the Association, Dr. Lami Ahmed, has similarly expressed confidence in Nigeria’s preparations to stage a successful championship.

The 2026 AACT is scheduled to take place from November 2 to 7 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

With the countdown now entering its final month, the rehabilitation of the Club is sending a strong message about Nigeria’s determination to deliver a successful championship and provide a worthy stage for Africa’s finest female golfers.

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