AACT 2026: Former captain Grace Ihonvbere promises visitors 100% Nigerian experience

With 23 days to go until the 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), Nigeria is preparing to welcome golfers, officials and other guests from across the continent for an experience that goes beyond competitive golf, with the country’s culture, cuisine, tourism and renowned hospitality expected to feature prominently.

Grace Ihonvbere, former captain of IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja, member of the club’s board of directors and grand patron of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria (LGAN), has promised visitors an authentic Nigerian experience during the Continental Women’s Team Golf Championship.

Ihonvbere said the tournament presents an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, diversity and hospitality, while creating memorable experiences for participants and guests traveling to Abuja for the competition. Project reports

According to her, the championship will offer visitors the opportunity to discover Nigeria beyond the golf course, with local delicacies, cultural expressions, tourist attractions and interactions with Nigerians expected to be part of their experience.

The promise of a 100% Nigerian experience reflects the organisers’ ambition to make the championship more than a sporting event, using golf as a platform to promote cultural exchange, strengthen relations between African countries and showcase Nigeria’s ability to host international sporting competitions.

Golf meets Nigerian culture and hospitality

For Ihonvbere, AACT offers an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s identity to a continental audience through the country’s food, traditions, people and hospitality.

Visitors attending the championship are expected to experience aspects of Nigerian life that distinguish the country as one of Africa’s most culturally diverse nations. From indigenous dishes and colorful cultural expressions to the warmth of local communities, the event offers a platform to introduce participants to the country’s rich heritage.

Abuja, the host city, will also offer visitors the opportunity to explore Nigeria’s capital beyond the tournament venue, with its tourist attractions, cultural diversity and growing profile as a destination for major national and international gatherings.

The championship is expected to bring together competitors and officials from several African countries, creating opportunities for interaction and exchange of ideas between women golfers and other stakeholders in the sport.

Beyond the competition, such engagements can help strengthen sporting relationships, encourage networking and foster a greater appreciation of the diverse cultures represented at the tournament.

Ihonvbere’s message highlights the importance of hospitality in shaping the overall experience of international sporting events, especially championships that bring together participants from across the continent with different traditions and backgrounds.

The 2026 edition will mark the third time Nigeria will host the All Africa Challenge Trophy, following the country’s previous hosting engagements in Lagos and Abuja.

Nigeria prepares for third AACT venue

The first Nigerian edition was held in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos, while the second was held in 2010 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja.

The return of the championship to Nigeria in 2026 therefore represents another opportunity for the country to demonstrate its organizational capacity and continued involvement in women’s golf on the continent.

The IBB International Golf and Country Club, which hosted the 2010 edition, will once again serve as the venue, placing Abuja at the heart of the continental competition.

The championship will take place from 2 to 7 November 2026, with female golfers from across Africa expected to converge on the Nigerian capital for the six-day event.

For the host country, the tournament represents an opportunity to combine sporting competition with cultural diplomacy and tourism promotion, using the presence of international visitors to highlight Nigeria’s attractions and hospitality.

The countdown gathers momentum

With 23 days left before the start of the championship, preparations and anticipation for the arrival of participating teams, officials and guests are growing.

The countdown message also serves as an invitation to the African golf community to look beyond the fairways and embrace the broader experience that Nigeria aims to offer.

For Ihonvbere, the championship is an opportunity to create lasting impressions of Nigeria through the combination of sport, culture, food and hospitality, ensuring that visitors leave with memories that go beyond the competition itself.

As the country prepares to welcome the continent’s female golfers, the aim is to organize an event that celebrates both sporting excellence and the connections that sport can foster between African nations.

With Abuja hosting the championship for the second time, Nigeria will have another opportunity to show its hospitality and cement its place in the African golf calendar.

Twenty-three days to go. Africa is coming to Abuja.