Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic set to bring top African players

The Lakowe Lakes Golf Classic is about to get a big boost this year. Oando Nigeria Plc is the main sponsor. They are increasing the prize money, which will raise the profile of the event. This will attract top players from Africa who are part of the Sunshine Development Tour’s East Africa Swing.

The championship will take place in two parts at Lakowe Lakes Golf & Country Estate in Lagos. The first part, the Nigeria Closed, runs from September 28 to 30. This part is for Nigerian professional golfers, and they will compete for a prize of N30 million.

After that, the focus will move to the international phase from October 2 to 4. This phase will include more professional golfers from across Africa. They will compete for $50,000 in prize money and important world ranking points.

Femi Olagbenro, the manager at Lakowe Lakes, said Oando’s support shows the championship's goal of creating better opportunities for Nigerian professionals. He stated, "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 for this event include GAC Motors, ARM Investment Managers, and ProvidusUnity Bank, among others.

The international phase is expected to bring in top golfers from Nigeria and other countries. Players from Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, and more African nations will join.

Key Nigerian players include Olapade Sunday, Godwin Okoko, Andrew Odoh, Solomon Ideria, Francis Epe, and Tajudeen Ajayi. Many of these players have gained useful international experience in the Sunshine Development Tour.

Olapade is excited about playing in an international-ranking event at home. He said, "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 available, the Oando-backed Lakowe Lakes Classic is shaping up to be an important platform. It connects Nigeria’s top professionals with the broader African and global golf community.