A Golf Kitty organised in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was one of the main attractions of the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival on Saturday, 5 April, 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Managing Consultant of the sports festival, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo, teed off the kitty at the picturesque Ibom Golf and Country Club to the admiration of golf enthusiasts who thronged the venue.
This is even as the organisers revved up preparations for a Cultural Expo with the stage being rigged and rehearsals commenced.
Held on the sidelines of the sports competitions, the golf kitty was part of the community engagement activities of the festival to foster social networking.
Over 130 golfers were in the kitty with members of the Main and Local Organising Committees of the Niger Delta Sports Festival in attendance.
“The NDSF project sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was designed to achieve multipurpose objectives of discovering and nurturing athletes, foster regional integration and engaging our host community.
“We have also provided opportunity for games demonstration towards bringing them in when the next edition holds. Cricket and Rugby are such games and we will keep redesigning the festival concept to accommodate more sports,”Ikpokpo told journalists at the event.
The festival also incorporated a Cultural Expo scheduled for the Unity Park in Uyo on 7 April. A number of upcoming entertainers in comedy, music and masters of ceremony were lined up to perform.
Edi Lawani, the country’s leading entertainment impresario said the Cultural Expo is a community engagement platform to provide the people of Akwa Ibom State, the festival community and tourists a time to unwind.
“Over 40 artistes will be on parade as we provide music, comedy, dance and food court for everyone in Uyo to feel the sports festival atmosphere outside the competition venues and make new social and business friends”, the thickly Lawani said donning his trademark shorts and backpack.
“Just as the NDSF is poised to discover new talents in sports, the cultural expo of the NDSF is equally designed to give a boost to and uplift young upcoming talents in the creative industry”, Lawani further stated.
Established talents like Comedian Destalker and singer Humblesmith were billed to perform to give inspiration and mentorship to the assembled young talents.
He said emphasis has also been placed on gender inclusiveness as there are female artistes, female Disc Jockeys and a female red carpet host who were set to take their place of pride at the event.
The Niger Delta Sports Festival drew participants from the seven mandate states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Cross River, Ondo and Rivers. Holding the Golf Kitty to mark the 25th anniversary of the Niger Delta Development Commission on the sidelines of the sports festival was an ingenious way to accommodate golf enthusiasts in the sports festival and kill two birds with one stone.
By Our Reporter
