Sports

AACT 2026: Abuja Set to Host 30 African Nations as Nigeria Approves ₦547m Budget

Published

1 month ago

September 1, 2026

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria is set to welcome no fewer than 30 African countries to Abuja for the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), with organisers putting the combined hosting budget for the prestigious women’s amateur golf championship and the Nigeria Ladies’ Open Championship at ₦547 million.

President of the Ladies’ Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN) and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for AACT Nigeria 2026, Dr Lami Onayi Ahmed, disclosed this on Tuesday at a world press briefing held at the TYB International Resort & Country Club, Abuja.

Ahmed said preparations for the November 2–7 championship had moved from the planning stage to full execution, describing the event as an opportunity for Nigeria to showcase its capacity to host major international sporting competitions while promoting women’s golf, tourism and the country’s cultural heritage.

“The All Africa Challenge Trophy is the premier biennial women’s amateur team championship on the African continent,” Ahmed said, adding that the competition provides an important pathway for the development and international exposure of women and young female golfers.

The championship will take place at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, with three rounds of competition, cultural activities, delegates’ engagements, a prize presentation and closing banquet scheduled.

The AACT will be followed immediately by the Nigeria Ladies’ Open Championship from November 7–10, extending the international women’s golf programme in the Federal Capital Territory.

Africa Coming to Abuja

Organisers said several countries had confirmed their participation, while discussions with other national golf federations were ongoing.

Ahmed said teams, officials, delegates and supporters from across Africa were expected in Abuja for the championship.

“Africa is coming to Nigeria,” she said, stressing that the organisers were determined to ensure that every participating country feels welcome throughout its stay.

Each participating nation is expected to field three players and a captain, giving an official delegation of at least four people per country, apart from supporters and other guests.

Technical Director of the tournament, Julius Akinwumi Fadairo, said the three-round competition would be contested as a team event, with results counting towards the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

He explained that the AACT differs from conventional individual golf competitions because players compete for their respective countries.

“Players are playing for their country, not themselves. It is a competition amongst nations,” Fadairo said.

₦547m Covers Hosting, Not Prize Money

Fadairo clarified that the ₦547 million projection was not a prize purse but the estimated cost of hosting both the AACT and the Nigeria Ladies’ Open Championship.

He said the budget would cover accommodation, transportation, logistics and other operational requirements for participating delegations.

The Transcorp Hilton Abuja is expected to accommodate teams from the participating countries during the championship.

Fadairo also stressed that support for the tournament could come in both cash and services, with organisations and individuals able to contribute professional expertise and other forms of assistance to reduce the financial burden.

Ahmed, meanwhile, expressed confidence in Nigeria’s readiness to host the continental championship, saying the Local Organising Committee had established various teams to coordinate the different aspects of the event.

She said the committee was working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, security agencies, corporate organisations and other stakeholders to ensure a successful tournament.

“Nigeria has been entrusted with the responsibility of hosting Africa’s premier women’s amateur golf championship,” Ahmed said. “Our ambition is very simple: to deliver a world-class championship that Nigeria and Africa will be proud of.”

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Sports

Plateau Vipers, Benue Queens Crowned Champions at HFN North Central Division One Tourney

Published

17 hours ago

October 3, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Handball Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Jibril Seidu, has said the federation will continue to intensify its grassroots talent development drive through zonal competitions across the country.

Seidu stated this on Saturday in Abuja at the finals of the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship, where Plateau Vipers defeated Suleja Shooters 29-24 to emerge champions in the men’s category.

In the women’s final, Benue Queens of Makurdi defeated City Queens of Suleja to claim the title.

The eight-day tournament featured teams from across the North Central Zone, with Plateau Vipers of Jos, Confluence Stars of Lokoja, Unity Boys of Abuja, Suleja Shooters and Nasarawa Ambassadors of Lafia competing in the men’s category.

In the women’s category, Nuela Handball Academy of Ilorin, Inikpi Babes of Idah, Benue Queens of Makurdi and City Queens of Suleja competed for honours.

At the end of the competition, four teams — two male and two female — emerged as the North Central Zone’s representatives for the national Division One league.

According to Seidu, the tournament was organised as part of the federation’s deliberate strategy to take handball development back to the regions and discover talents that might otherwise remain unnoticed.

He said the HFN board, inaugurated on October 25, 2025, resolved that grassroots development was essential to creating a sustainable pipeline of players for national and international competitions.

“All the teams you have seen here are from the North Central Zone of the country, and every state is represented with an academy or state team,” he said.

Seidu explained that the new approach marked a departure from the previous system, where talent identification was largely centred on the federation’s major league competitions.

He said taking competitions to the regions would provide young players with greater opportunities to showcase their abilities while strengthening the foundation of handball across the country.

The HFN president also linked the grassroots initiative to Nigeria’s recent achievements in international handball, stressing the need to develop younger players who can eventually replace members of the current national teams.

He noted that Nigeria had qualified for the 2027 Men’s Junior Handball World Championship in North Macedonia, describing the achievement as evidence of the potential within the country’s handball system.

“How do we replace these players with upcoming players? This is the avenue for us to get players,” he said.

Seidu added that the federation was determined to make handball more visible and accessible, describing it as one of Nigeria’s major sporting disciplines with significant potential for growth.

The North Central tournament is part of a wider zonal programme designed to decentralise handball development across Nigeria.

According to the federation, similar competitions are being organised across other zones, including the South East, North East, North West and South South, with qualifiers from each zone expected to converge at a designated venue for the next stage of the competition.

The federation also appealed for greater support from sponsors, stakeholders and state associations to sustain its grassroots development programme.

It expressed appreciation to the participating states, academies, team sponsors and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the growth of handball in Nigeria.

The federation said the initiative would provide a platform for discovering the next generation of Nigerian handball stars while expanding the sport’s reach beyond its traditional centres.
While Speaking the elated coach of Benue Queen Godwin Tondo has promised a stronger and more tactical performance after guiding the team to victory at the 2026 North Central Division One Handball Championship in Abuja.
He attributed the success to the team’s long-term youth development programme, noting that the squad was built through a deliberate process of identifying and nurturing young talents.
According to him, the programme began with the selection of 92 girls from secondary schools, who were subsequently trained and developed over a four-year period.

He said the team’s success was a product of sustained hard work and commitment despite the challenges encountered during preparations for the tournament.

“I feel very pleased being a champion today. The road to this stage was very, very hard, but I am very happy that we have got the result from all the toughness of the game,” he said.

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