FirstBank supports youth sports development in Nigeria

The FirstBank Group has reaffirmed its commitment to developing sports in Nigeria, describing it as a catalyst for unity and societal growth. The CEO of First Bank Group, Olusegun Alebiosu, expressed this during questions from journalists at the closing of the Python Golf Club 2025 Amateur Open Championship held in Port Harcourt.

“At FirstBank, we support sports across the country. We believe that sports can play a major role in nation-building and societal development,” Alebiosu said. He also highlighted the bank’s extensive support for various sports besides golf, including football, basketball, tennis, and polo.

“We (First Bank) have a football academy, a football team in the league, and a basketball team that has won trophies. We also sponsor polo and other sports,” Alebiosu added.

“FirstBank has been backing various sports as part of its broader commitment to promoting societal development and nation-building.”

The Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Dr. Raphael Onoshakpo, described the event, held from October 13 to 19, as a resounding success, noting that the tournament attracted over 300 players from across Nigeria and beyond.

Onoshakpo credited the increased interest in golf to the lockdown period, which led more people to take up the sport.

He noted that the Python Golf Club has become a major hub for golf, with a fully equipped training facility that has produced over 200 new golfers in the past.

“Golf is a corporate sport that executives love to play, especially here and abroad. We see a lot of networking, ideas, and fashion coming this way, and we’re proud to be part of that,” he stated.

Alebiosu also mentioned that golf is not only for the wealthy; however, he pointed out that the cost of playing golf can be a significant barrier for many people, saying:

“Golf is not about being rich. I started playing golf when I was a nobody. The basic thing is joining the club, and some of us started with second-hand clubs.”

“It’s not as cheap as football. The entry fee might not be for the poor, so we don’t have many people coming into it,” he explained.

“Some people think it’s not physically demanding enough, but people don’t understand the exertion involved. I call it elite farming—you know how farmers feel when they go to farm, the same thing.”

Alebiosu also announced that FirstBank would host the 65th edition of its Lagos Open golf tournament on November 20, saying, “It’s about sport and golf. At FirstBank, we support sports across the country and I am sure you have seen us everywhere.

“Today is about golf; next Sunday, it will be about polo in Kaduna. We have been doing this for over a century.”

The seven-day tournament attracts over 400 golfers and their families from all over Nigeria.