By Amaechi Agbo

With 25 days to the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy, Nigeria’s return as host of Africa’s premier women’s team golf championship is also shining a light on the remarkable growth of women’s golf in the country.

When Nigeria secured the hosting rights in 2024, Evelyn Oyome was President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria and led the Nigerian delegation that successfully secured the bid.

Now, as the country prepares to welcome Africa to Abuja for the third time, Oyome believes the championship is coming at a significant period in the development of women’s golf in Nigeria.

The former LGAN President says the country now has a growing pool of women who are not only competing at a high level, but are also developing careers across different areas of the sport.

From competitive amateur golfers progressing towards professional careers to women taking up roles as coaches, captains, administrators and other golf professionals, the landscape is steadily expanding.

The growth is also being reflected in the increasing participation of women in tournaments across the country.

The 2025 IBB International Golf and Country Club Ladies Open, for instance, attracted more than 450 amateur and professional golfers, male and female, from more than 50 clubs across Nigeria, alongside participants from other African countries.

The growth of women’s golf is being driven further by competitions and initiatives designed to increase participation and identify new talent, including efforts to expand the game to more regions of the country and encourage younger girls to take up golf.

For Oyome, the opportunity to host the AACT is therefore about more than staging another continental championship. It is an opportunity to showcase how far Nigerian women’s golf has come and to inspire even more women and girls to see a future in the sport.

Nigeria previously hosted the AACT in 1996 at Ikoyi Club 1938 and in 2010 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja. The 2026 edition will make it the third time the country has hosted the championship.

With 25 days to go, the AACT is bringing the spotlight back to Nigeria, but this time against the backdrop of a women’s golf community that is growing in numbers, experience and professional opportunities.

The championship will take place from November 2 to 7 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.