Organizers of one of Africa’s biggest charity polo events, the prestigious Access Bank UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament has raised the bar in its commitment to alleviating the plight of the vulnerable children in Nigeria with a donation of $1.7m for their education.
The donation which makes the Charity polo one of the best-supported charity events in the history of Nigerian sport was raised by Access Bank, Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club and partners at the 2022 Charity Polo Day Tournament held at The Guards Polo Club, in the United Kingdom last weekend.
Group Managing Director of Access Corporation, Herbert Wigwe, who confirmed the donation, stated that amount would be geared towards the building and equipping classroom blocks in the less developed areas of Nigeria and in support of UNICEF campaign against HIV/AIDS pandemic among Nigerian children.
The bank boss stated that the amount would Serve as building blocks towards achieving a brighter future for the country:”While challenging the various state governments to take sustainable actions towards ensuring all boys and girls complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.”
The international polo fiesta which is the first edition of the United Kingdom based tournament to be held since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, is staged annually in Kaduna, South Africa and Europe to raise funds to support anti-poverty and anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns in Nigeria.
Incidentally, two month ago, Kaduna State Government performed the commissioning ceremony of school activities at the 60 classroom school project of the Access Bank Fifth Chukker Maraban Jos Primary School in Kaduna.
Wife of Kaduna State Governor and UNICEF Ambassador to the 60 classroom school project, Hajia Ummi Nasir EL-Rufai who cut the tape for the commencement of school activities, urge parents to make good use of the ultra-modern educational facility targeted at removing millions of out of school children from the streets to a brighter future.
Revered as one of the biggest fundraising platform in Africa, the Nigerian leg of the prestigious UNICEF polo tournament that pitted over ten teams climaxed with flourish in a fiercely fought final game where Fifth Chukker team held Jos Malcomines 8-8 in the final game, to retain the event’s biggest prize the Charity Shield.
Other top winners of the international polo fiesta include the Murtala Laushi powered debutants Jos AM&C who turned their outsiders rating to pure gold with a 10-31/2 defeat to former winners, Kaduna Sublime, to clinch the glittering Access Bank Cup, just as Afden petroleum team overwhelmed their 8Twenty8 opponents for their first UNICEF Cup title.
The ambitious Badako Zaz team hanged onto their superior goals difference to earn their biggest Charity Shield yet, edging their better mounted Kanjimi to the second place winners in the race for the Usman Dantata Cup.
The Charity Shield began in 2003 as a platform to support local charity organizations in Kaduna. Since 2006 this humanitarian effort has been geared exclusively towards UNICEF intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.
In 2008, the Charity Shield received a major boost when Access Bank agreed to a multi-year sponsorship deal, making the tournament one of the best-supported charity events in the history of Nigerian sport. Income generated from these cooperatives is used to meet the needs of the children in their care, including providing healthcare and education supplies.