Minister of Women Affairs, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, tees off 26th edition of the IBB Ladies Amateur Golf Open

Posted : 16 February 2025

Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, has teed off the 26th edition of the IBB Ladies Amateur Golf Open, reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering women across all sectors in the country.

The tournament, themed “The Abuja Experience,” has attracted a record-breaking participation of over 450 female golfers from host country Nigeria and five other African nations: Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The minister expressed her support for initiatives that promote women’s participation and success in various fields, particularly in sports.

She emphasized that women excel when given the opportunity to participate and contribute to the nation’s development.

“This is part of my mandate, as a directive from Mr. President, Bola Tinubu, that women should be supported across all sectors.

“We must activate, cultivate, and support the potential of women across all sectors.

“We know that when women take on responsibilities, they do so with excellence, and we want to support them in contributing to Nigeria’s economy,” she said.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim stressed that supporting women is crucial for Nigeria’s growth and prosperity.

“It translates to excellence, growth, economic development, and prosperity because a healthy population leads to a healthy nation.

“When women are healthy, the nation thrives. Golf plays a critical role in promoting health and well-being,” she said.

She added that the focus on women extends beyond sports, as the Ministry is also committed to supporting women in agriculture, the green economy, the care economy, the creative industries, and emerging sectors.

She welcomed all participating countries to Abuja, expressing confidence in the success of the competition.

“I would like to welcome you all to Abuja. Many countries are here to participate in this competition.

“I assure you that you will be amazed because when women compete, they compete for excellence,” she said.

Earlier, Julie Donli, Lady Captain of the IBB International Golf and Country Club, told journalists that the tournament had grown significantly, promoting excellence in women’s golf.

She stated that the tournament continues to be a major event in promoting women’s sports and empowering women across Africa.

She added that the minister’s support further underscores the tournament’s importance for the country’s development.

“Our goal is to continuously elevate the standard of this event and create opportunities for more women to participate and enjoy the sport.

“In addition to competing against some of the best golfers from across the country and beyond, this competition is a celebration of women in sports,” she said.

Uloma Mbuko, chairman of the tournament’s technical committee and Nigeria’s first female professional golfer, explained that the event would also provide players with the opportunity to earn world rankings.

“This is a world-ranking tournament, meaning players will earn points based on the world ranking system.

“No fewer than 200 ladies are participating in the main event.

“This category includes female professionals, main event participants playing off handicaps of 0-18, a division for handicaps of 19-28, veterans, super veterans, and a special category.

“This tournament is all-inclusive, and we anticipate world-class golfing over the next three days,” Mbuko said.

Meanwhile, defending champion Evelyn Oyome, who is also the President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), expressed her determination to defend her title.

Oyome, a seasoned amateur golfer from Ikoyi Club, overcame intense pressure from Ugandan golfer Kabasweka Peace on the final day of the 2024 edition to claim the IBB Ladies Open crown for the second consecutive year.

The championship trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 are up for grabs as participants continue to battle it out on the lush green course of the IBB Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

The week-long tournament, which began on Monday with the caddies' competition, is expected to conclude with the grand finale on Sunday.

Minister of Women Affairs, Sulaiman-Ibrahim, tees off 26th edition of the IBB Ladies Amateur Golf Open

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