Nigeria has won the bid to host the prestigious 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT), a biennial continental women’s golf championship that began in Zimbabwe in 1992.
This will mark the third time Nigeria is hosting the AACT, having previously held the event in 1996 at the Ikoyi Club 1938 and in 2010 at the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja.
Evelyn Oyome, President of the Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, led the delegation to the 16th edition of the championship in Morocco. She confirmed Nigeria's victory among 20 countries that participated in the bidding process.
“Nigeria had earlier hosted the West, Central Africa Challenge Trophy in October last year at the Lakowe Lakes Golf Estate and Resort in Lagos, showcasing its outstanding golfing facilities, with no fewer than 10 countries participating. So, hosting that championship successfully last year gave us the edge amongst so many other countries that also bidded and winning was a huge victory for Nigeria,” Oyome explained.
She also announced that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would serve as the host city for the 2026 tournament, with at least 30 countries expected to take part. “The FCT met all the criteria for a host city, and it will be a great opportunity to welcome the whole of Africa into the nation’s capital. The AACT is a great opportunity to promote Nigeria. It is indeed equivalent to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in football,” she added.
The 16th edition of the championship, held in Morocco at Golf de Tazegzout in Agadir, saw the Moroccan women’s team win. Twenty nations, including South Africa, which has dominated 14 of the previous 15 editions, participated in the event.