A visit to the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 will show you numerous plaques dating back in time. The plaques show that national tournaments have long been part of the Club.

Conspicuously missing was a plaque depicting Nigeria’s national event. It was the need to fill that void that gave birth to the Nigeria Cup.

What used to be played in its place was the Independence Trophy, which held for a long while before it stopped. But that Independence Trophy was not organised in the fashion of the Nigeria Cup of today.

The absence of a national event became even more pronounced when the golf section lost the Nigeria Open to the then newly constructed IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja in 1997.

Coincidentally, that was the year the man; Soji Awogbade, credited with setting up of Nigeria Cup became the Vice Captain.

Apart from being the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the section, the Vice Captain has a little bit of time on his hand.

Awogbade therefore gathered young men of like minds, and together they put up the first Nigeria Cup, to be played like other national competitions at the section in celebration of the nation’s Independence anniversary.

 

 AWOGBADE: The man who dreamt Nigeria Cup

Credited as the brain behind the Nigeria Cup, Soji Awogbade with the idea etched his name on the sands of time.

His dream, though modest at the beginning has grown to become the most sought after golf brand in Nigeria. Coincidentally, the competition holds in celebration of the nations Independence Anniversary.

When he and a select few nurtured the dream in 1997, the plan was for a small tournament to celebrate the nation’s national Independence anniversary, just like other nationals at the club do.

As the Vice Captain, the first ever Nigeria Cup held under his Chairmanship. It was during that period that it became obvious that the Nigeria Cup will eventually become a big deal.

A devout golfer himself though says he doesn’t play as much as he would have loved to, Awogbade golf interest transcends the Golf Section of Ikoyi Club. He and a group of others are also behind an under construction golf project somewhere in Lekki.

Called the Lekki Beach Golf Resort; the dream, just like the Nigeria Cup is a testimony to his love for the sport and the country at large.

An Anglican by birth, Awogbade is a successful Lawyer, a man who loves nature as testified to by his love for golf.

It was therefore not surprising when he pioneered the practice of Environmental Law in Nigeria, an area he has been very active in over the last ten years, developing the legal, regulatory and policy framework for Nigeria as a country.

Awogbade was largely responsible for the formation of the Nigerian Environmental Law Society. 

The 14-handicapper has consulted far and wide and has also taken his game outside the county.

And because other national tournaments were named after their country, it was therefore not difficult to name Nigeria’s version as Nigeria Cup.

At the teething stage, the plan was to get people to play golf and have trophies awarded to winners.  But as interest in the tournament grew, it became difficult to have a small competition.

Subsequently, Caddies and Professional golfers were added to the event. But the most interesting part of the maiden edition was the Gala Night described by those who witnessed it as a grand affair.

Sir Victor Olaiya, who played at the nation’s Independence anniversary, played at the Gala Night.

Since that early tentative beginning, the Nigeria Cup has grown in reputation to become firmly established as the leading amateur Club event in the country.

The Ikoyi Golf Community Nigeria Association is the parent body of the Nigeria cup.

 

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