Plateau State Governor Rt Hon Simon Lalong has enjoined the Nigeria Golf Federation (NGF) to organise on regular basis programmes summit on golf to enable club captains, the members of the NGF and other stakeholders to interact, identify and develop young talents and recruit more members into golf.
Lalong, made the appeal in his goodwill message to the stakeholders at the maiden edition of the National Summit on Golf held at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.
While calling on captains of various golf clubs to develop Peer Review Mechanism and work together in the interest of uniformity and standardization of the game, he reiterated that more than being a mere sporting activity, golf is a huge economic venture.
He called on NGF to work hard to demystify the notion that golf is exclusively for the elites, while urging government and all relevant authorities to give full support to golf both in policy matters as well as in funding.
The Chairman Northern Governors’ Forum, who plays golf off 16 handicap, also directed that the Nigeria Open Golf Championship last held in 1999 should be restored.
Speaking in the same vein, President of NGF, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, said that the summit was informed by the need for golf captains and stakeholders in Nigeria to interact, exchange views and opinions with a view to developing a roadmap for the development of the game of golf in the country.
Runsewe said that golf can no longer be seen only as a sporting event, but also as a serious socio-economic activity with far reaching health benefits.
He said immense opportunities abound in golf which when fully developed, could stabilize the nation socially and economically, thereby driving sustainable national development. He stressed the need for golfers in Nigeria to take the game to the next level.