FirstBank Celebrates 65 Years of Golf Sponsorship with N34m Prize

FirstBank is showing its support for sports as it celebrates 65 years of sponsoring the Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship.

The special edition was announced at a press conference at Ikoyi Club 1938, Lagos, on Tuesday. The tournament will take place from November 16 to 22.

FirstBank revealed a total prize purse of N34m for the professional players. The top professional winner will take home N10m.

Nnaemeka Ejeh, Group Executive, Commercial Banking South, represented the bank's Managing Director/CEO at the event. He said the bank's ongoing support for the championship shows its long-term commitment to growing golf in Nigeria.

"In the game of golf, success is never accidental. It is earned through discipline, patience, strategic thinking, and an unwavering commitment to excellence, values that equally define FirstBank. For over six decades, FirstBank has proudly remained the biggest promoter of golf in Nigeria.

"We see it as a legacy investment where we nurture talent and grow them up. We look long-term, not short-term," he said.

The tournament will start on November 16 with the arrival of participants and the presentation of entertainment trophies. The club anniversary celebration is on November 18, with golfers from all over Nigeria expected to join.

A charity golf tournament will happen on November 19. Corporate organizations will register teams to raise money for charitable causes. FirstBank will match the funds raised and donate them to selected charity homes.

The professional competition will begin on November 20, with players from all around the country set to compete. The tournament will wrap up on November 21 and 22, with the cut and final rounds, along with golf clinics for kids and adults.

The charity initiative is a crucial part of the championship's social impact, continuing previous donations to places like Pacelli School for the Blind.

Akinwumi Akintola, Chairman of Ikoyi Club 1938, praised FirstBank for maintaining the partnership over the years.

"65 years is no small achievement. It represents much more than the longevity of a sporting competition; it is a remarkable story of consistency, commitment, institutional partnership, and sustained investment in sporting excellence. At Ikoyi Club 1938, our philosophy is captured in our motto: Global harmony through recreation," he said.

Ayo Adegboye, Group CEO of Aravo Consulting, also spoke highly of the lasting partnership between the bank and its corporate supporters.

"Our commitment to the FirstBank Open Championship every year is intentional. We’ve been doing this for the last three years. FirstBank has stood the test of time, being around for over a century, so why do we need to reinvent the wheel?" he said.

Afolabi Balogun, Golf Captain of Ikoyi Club 1938, also thanked the sponsors for keeping the championship alive.

"We particularly appreciate your determination to sustain this legacy and raise the bar with every edition of the championship. We also recognise and appreciate the invaluable contribution of your partners and sponsors who have continued to support this worthy initiative," he said.

Defending champion Monday Ese, who won the N10m top prize last year, thanked FirstBank and mentioned how much the championship has helped his career.

"It has been an amazing run from FirstBank because I remember when I started this tournament as an amateur. My first appearance was fifth place. I saw the gift they gave me, and I said to myself that I could do better.

"Then I turned pro, and FirstBank changed the story that every pro who wins it will go home with N10m. We were shocked that day, and it was a very big boost," he said.