Golf: Lakowe Lakes Classic attracts top African pros

The Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic is set for a major boost this year as Oando Nigeria Plc takes centre stage as the main sponsor, with an enhanced prize purse raising the profile of the event and attracting top African players on the Sunshine Development Tour’s East Africa Swing.

The championship will be staged in two phases at Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate in Lagos, beginning with the Nigeria Closed from September 28 to 30 for Nigerian professional golfers, who will compete for a N30m purse.

Attention will then shift to the international phase from October 2 to 4, featuring an expanded field of professionals from across Africa competing for $50,000 in prize money and valuable world ranking points.

Manager at Lakowe Lakes, Femi Olagbenro, said Oando’s involvement reinforced the championship’s long-term objective of creating stronger competitive opportunities for Nigerian professionals.

“The Lakowe Lakes Classic continues to champion the development of professional golf in Nigeria. Oando shares our vision of creating opportunities that allow our local stars to compete at a higher level, test themselves against Africa’s best and earn the recognition their talent deserves.”

Other partners in the event include GAC Motors, ARM Investment Managers and ProvidusUnity Bank, among others.

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The international field is expected to feature leading professionals from Nigeria alongside players from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya and other African golf nations.

Among Nigeria’s headline players are Olapade Sunday, Godwin Okoko, Andrew Odoh, Solomon Ideria, Francis Epe and Tajudeen Ajayi, several of whom have gained valuable international experience competing on the Sunshine Development Tour.

Olapade believes playing an international-ranking event on home soil represents a major shift for Nigerian golf.

“There is always something special about competing at home, but this is bigger than just playing in Nigeria. Events like this give our players the opportunity to compete internationally, earn ranking points and put Nigeria more firmly on the world golf map. We are excited about the quality of the field and what this means for professional golf in the country.”

With increased prize money, international participation and World Ranking points at stake, the Oando-backed Lakowe Lakes Classic is positioning itself as an important platform connecting Nigeria’s best professionals with the wider African and global golf ecosystem.