FirstBank open is Nigeria’s longest running golf tournament
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
This year’s Lagos amateur open golf championship will hold between November 18 and 21 at Ikoyi Club 1938, sponsored by FirstBank, as it has done every year in all the 59 years of this longest running golf tournament in Nigeria.
FirstBank Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship, listed by the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), attracts the best amateur golfers from Nigeria and across the world.
Participation contributes to the points for golfers to aid their WAGR rankings.
FirstBank Chief Executive Officer Adeola Adeduntan will hold a press conference at Ikoyi Club House Terrace on November 10 to unveil this landmark 60th edition as well as the “Corporate Golf Challenge”, “CEO’s Cup”, ProAm, and Ladies Invitational.
Net proceeds for charity
The Corporate Golf Challenge for Charity holds on November 18 and will feature 25 corporate teams of four players competing in a networking environment of corporate hospitality designed to drive corporate social responsibility goals.
The official competition will tee-off on November 19 through to the championship finals on November 21.
FirstBank says the net proceeds from team entry fees will be disbursed to charities under the FirstBank SPARK initiative.
SPARK – Start Performing Acts of Random Kindness – “is a values-based initiative designed to raise consciousness that we can choose to be kind,” the bank explains.
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Roll of honour
The CEO’s Cup, the bank adds, is a newly introduced prize for the overall gross winner of the championship “to recognise this indelible landmark and the unbroken legacy at the diamond jubilee.”
The ProAm event is scheduled for November 21 to recognise professional past winners of the tournament.
In the ProAm – tagged Roll of Honour – past winners will play with invited amateurs for a cash prize of $5,000 as well as trophies and other prizes. The Ladies Invitational is a subset event of the ProAm, comprising female guests invited by FirstBank.
FirstBank Group Head (Marketing and Corporate Communications), Folake Ani-Mumuney said: “At FirstBank, we are excited to celebrate the landmark diamond jubilee of the Lagos Amateur Open Golf Championship which is indeed the longest sponsored golf championship in the country and arguably, the continent.
“For decades FirstBank has been at the forefront of the growth and development of sports in Nigeria, cutting across various and notably sporting events in the country.
“Sponsoring sports reflect our belief in the role of sports as a major vehicle for social development, whilst also being a unifying force of individuals, irrespective of language, culture, religion and social strata in any given society.”
Coaching clinics
Professional coaching clinics and skills competitions are held during the championship and this year, the clinic will be facilitated each day from November 19 to 21 at Ikoyi Club 1938 Golf Club Driving Range.
Participants will include school children and advanced golf players who want to learn and/or improve their game. They will exhibit their skills in Beat the Pro – Longest Drive and Beat the Pro – Nearest-To-the-Pin competitions.
Other sporting events sponsored by FirstBank include
- Georgian Cup of Kaduna Polo Tournament, sponsored for 102 years
- Dala Tennis Hard Court in Kano Club, sponsored for over 30 years
- Obasanjo Pro-Amateur Golf Tournament of Abeokuta Club, now in its fifth year
FirstBank’s influence in the development of sport in Nigeria is under its First@Sport initiative.
About FirstBank
FirstBank is the premier bank in West Africa and has been the leading financial inclusion services provider in Nigeria for more than 127 years.
It boasts over 750 business locations and over 130,000 Banking Agents spread across 99 per cent of the 774 councils in Nigeria, providing comprehensive retail and corporate financial services to more than 30 million customers.
It has international presence through its subsidiaries – FBN Bank (UK) Limited in London and Paris, FBNBank in the Republic of Congo, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra-Leone and Senegal, as well as a Representative Office in Beijing.
FirstBank promotes digital payment and has issued over 10 million cards, the first bank to achieve such a milestone in Nigeria.
Its cashless transaction drive has garnered 12 million people on its USSD Quick Banking Service through its *894# code and over 4.5 million on its FirstMobile platform.
Since its establishment in 1894, FirstBank has built relationships with customers focusing on good corporate governance, strong liquidity, optimised risk management, and leadership.
It has for years led the financing of private investment in infrastructure in the Nigerian economy by playing key roles in government privatisation and commercialisation schemes.
It supports investors wishing to explore the vast business opportunities in Nigeria, as a competitive world-class brand and a credible financial partner.
Folake Ani-Mumuney, FirstBank Group Head (Marketing & Corporate Communications), lists other accolades won by the bank to include:
- “Best Innovation in Retail Banking in Nigeria 2021” award by The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group.
- “Most Valuable Bank Brand in Nigeria” six times in a row (2011 – 2016) by The Banker Magazine.
- “Best Retail Bank in Nigeria” for seven consecutive years (2011 – 2017) by the Asian Banker International Excellence in Retail Financial Services Awards.
- “Best Bank in Nigeria” by Global Finance for 15 years.
“Our brand purpose is always to put customers, partners and stakeholders at the heart of our business, even as we standardise customer experience and excellence in financial solutions across sub-Saharan Africa, in consonance with our brand vision ‘To be the partner of the first choice in building your future,’” she stresses.
“Our brand promise is always to deliver the ultimate ‘gold standard’ of value and excellence. This commitment is anchored on our inherent values of passion, partnership and people, to position You First in every respect.”
