Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank Group, Olusegun Alebiosu, has underscored the vital role of sports in promoting nation-building and societal development.

Speaking at the Python Amateur Open Championship in Port Harcourt, Alebiosu reaffirmed FirstBank’s long-standing commitment to supporting sports development across Nigeria.

“At FirstBank, we support sports across the country,” he said. “We believe that sports can play a significant role in nation-building and societal development.”

He highlighted the bank’s extensive involvement in various sports, including golf, football, basketball, tennis, and polo.

“We have a football academy, a football team playing in the league, and a basketball team that has won trophies,” he said. “We also sponsor polo and other sports.”

Alebiosu explained that through the bank’s First Sports initiative, FirstBank has continued to promote social development and national unity by investing in diverse sporting activities.

An avid golfer himself, Alebiosu dismissed the perception that golf is an exclusive sport for the wealthy. “Golf is not about being rich,” he said. “I started playing golf when I was a nobody. The basic thing is buying the club, and some of us started with second-hand clubs.”

He, however, acknowledged that the cost of participation remains a barrier for many people. “It’s not as cheap as football,” he noted. “The entry fee might not be for the poor, so we don’t have many people coming into it.”

Alebiosu also addressed misconceptions about the physical demands of golf. “Some people think it’s not physically strict enough,” he said.

“But people don’t understand the stretch. I call it elite farming — you know how farmers feel when they go to the farm; it’s the same thing.”

Describing golf as a blend of skill, strategy, and mental strength, he said: “Golf is a game of mind and body. Your arms, legs, waist, hands, and brain go into it. If you’re not happy and you enter the golf course, you can never win. You have to be happy; your brain needs to be active.”

The FirstBank CEO also announced that the bank would host the 65th edition of the Lagos Open Golf Tournament on November 20.

“It’s about sports and golf,” he said. “At FirstBank, we support sports across the country. Today is about golf; next week Sunday it will be about polo in Kaduna. We have been doing this for over a century.

“In November, we’ll host the 65th edition of our Lagos Open Golf Tournament, where players from around the world will participate.”

Alebiosu noted that FirstBank’s sponsorship has helped nurture many players who have gone on to achieve international success. He also recalled the bank’s support for the E1 Lagos Boat Race, the first of its kind in Africa, which the bank helped bring to life.

Meanwhile, the Python Amateur Open Championship, organized by the Python Golf Club, recently concluded its seven-day tournament, which drew more than 400 golfers and their families from across Nigeria.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Dr. Raphael Onoshakpo, described the event, held from October 13 to 19, as a resounding success, noting that it attracted over 300 players from within and outside the country.

Onoshakpo attributed the growing interest in golf to the post-lockdown era, during which more people began to embrace the sport. He added that the Python Golf Club has become a major hub for golfing in Nigeria, boasting full training facilities and having produced over 200 new golfers.

“Golf is a corporate sport that executives love to play, both here and abroad,” he said. “We see a lot of networking, ideas, and fashion coming through this sport, and we are proud to be part of that.”