By Uko Etim 

UYO — About 350 golfers are set to compete for top honours as the Ibom Open 2026 tees off at the Ibom Golf Course in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The tournament, which will begin on Thursday, 4th 2026 and end on Sunday, 7th 2026, has already drawn players from across Nigeria and other nations, and will be competed by golfers in the amateur category 

Ibom Open, which started in 2023 and organised by Ibom Golf and Country Club, is an international amateur golf tournament held in Uyo.

Speaking during a media interaction at the Ibom Golf Course, Uyo, on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Usenobong Akpabio, said the tournament is not just another event but a platform for people to explore and take advantage of it.

He said the event promises to be unique, adding that the championship prize this year is fantastic as the Uganda Air has promised a business class return ticket for the winners of the tournament.

“It will interest you to know that just like last year, when we opened the portal for registration, we needed about 250 people and under one week over 200 people had registered.

“This year we were targeting 300 people, and under one week 350 people had registered. We still have people who are still lining up, waiting to be part and parcel of the thing tournament 

“The championship prize this year is fantastic. Uganda Air has given a business class ticket to fly to anywhere Uganda Air goes: it could be London, Uganda or any other place, and that’s a big plus as far as this year’s tournament is concerned. 

“This year’s tournament has become bigger than last year, and we hope that next year will be bigger than this year,” Akpabio added 

Also speaking, the Captain of Ibom Golf and Country Club, Isuah Archibong, said that the tournament has become one of the vehicles in driving the ARISE agenda of the present administration.

He expressed appreciation to Ship Africa for sponsorship of the event in the last three years, noting that the event is not only about coming to play golf but showcasing Akwa Ibom as the golf destination in Africa.

“The golf course has remained one of the vehicles in driving the ARISE agenda; we have taken golf into a different dimension.

“It is not only about coming here to play golf, but we are also showcasing Akwa Ibom as the golf destination in West Africa. This is the best place to be in terms of anything that has to do with golf,” he said 

In his remarks, the representative of Ship Afrika, Ubong Ekwere, said their effort is to promote tourism, which would accelerate the growth of the state economy.