IBB golf course deserves national monument status — Dongban-Mensem

The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the IBB International Golf and Country Club (IBBGCC), Honourable Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem, CFR, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reaffirm the national status of the club and upgrade the golf course to a National Monument to be sustained through the national ecological fund. Justice Dongban-Mensem […]

The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the IBB International Golf and Country Club (IBBGCC), Honourable Justice M.B. Dongban-Mensem, CFR, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reaffirm the national status of the club and upgrade the golf course to a National Monument to be sustained through the national ecological fund.

Justice Dongban-Mensem made the appeal at the flag-off ceremony for the rehabilitation and upgrade of the IBB International Golf and Country Club by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in Abuja. She described the intervention as timely and critical to restoring one of Nigeria’s most iconic sporting and recreational assets.

According to her, the golf course, established 35 years ago in Maitama as the first green golf course in West Africa, had endured decades of heavy use without comprehensive rehabilitation. She thanked President Tinubu for approving the restoration following a request by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, noting that the project would return the facility to its former global standards.

She said the IBBGCC was once regarded as one of Africa’s most scenic and futuristic golf courses, serving as a hub for golf tourism, recreation, networking, and economic collaboration, while also housing an International Golf Academy that trains athletes representing Nigeria at global competitions.

Justice Dongban-Mensem stressed that with golf now an Olympic sport, Nigeria must invest in world-class facilities to harness its youthful talent and compete internationally. She noted that Nigeria’s selection to host the 2026 International Lady Golf Championship further underscored the urgency of completing the upgrade.

The BOT chairperson concluded by reaffirming that elevating the IBBGCC to a National Monument would secure its preservation as a symbol of national pride and sporting excellence.