As the 26th edition of the IBB International Golf and Country Club Amateur Ladies Golf Open Tournament teed off in Abuja, Hajia Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Minister of Women Affairs, emphasized the current government’s commitment to empowering women across all sectors.
The tournament, themed “The Abuja Experience,” is attracting over 450 female golfers from Nigeria and five other African nations: Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In her speech, the Minister expressed her support for initiatives that promote women’s participation and success in various fields, especially in sports.
“This is part of my mandate as a marching order from Mr. President, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, that women should be supported across all sectors,” she said. “We must activate, cultivate, and support to build the potential of women across all sectors.”
Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim emphasized that women excel when given the opportunity to participate and contribute to the nation’s development.
“We know that when women do things, they do it properly, and we like to support women to contribute to the economy of Nigeria. We support them in participation and ensuring that we address their challenges. We also support them with regulation and policies to support women in sports.”
The Minister stressed that supporting women is crucial for the growth and prosperity of Nigeria.
“It means excellence, growth, economic development, and prosperity because a healthy woman or people make a healthy nation. When women are healthy, the nation is healthy. Golf plays a critical role in ensuring that we are healthy. We invest in the total well-being and welfare of women.”
She added that the focus on women goes beyond sports, with the Ministry also committed to supporting women in agriculture, the green economy, the care economy, the creative industries, and emerging economies.
Hajia Sulaiman-Ibrahim concluded her address by welcoming the participating countries to Abuja, expressing confidence in the competition’s success.
“I like to welcome them to Abuja. We have many countries coming to play in this particular competition. I would like to assure Abuja that they are going to be wowed because when women play, they play for excellence. I am sure we should be able to see one of the best competitions.”
The IBB Ladies Golf Open continues to be a significant event in promoting women’s sports and empowering women across Africa, and the Minister’s support further underscores the importance of these initiatives for the country’s development.
