Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the Governor's Golf Tour and Carnival and Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Agnes Atsu, has described the Ministry of information as a strategic partner to the success of the forthcoming tournament.
Hon. Atsu stated this during a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, in his temporary office at the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC), Calabar.
She said the event is expected to draw professional golfers from within and outside the country, positioning Cross River State as an emerging destination for sports tourism.
According to her, as part of preparations for the high-profile tournament, upgrading of facilities at the Calabar Golf Course, venue for the event, is currently ongoing to meet international standards.
She noted that the Governor's Golf Tour will form part of activities lined up for the 32-day Calabar Festival and will attract golf enthusiasts from across the globe.
She used the occasion to announce the Commissioner for Information and Orientation as Technical Adviser on Media and Publicity to the tournament, to drive effective communication and visibility for the event.
Also speaking, the Vice Chairman of the LOC, Mr. Uchenna Ezebuiri, and another golfer and member of the committee, Dr. Paul Ebiala, disclosed that the tournament, scheduled to hold from December 19th to 23rd, 2026 will be open to both professionals and amateurs.
They explained that the professional category will feature a $50,000 prize purse, while the amateur category will attract numerous consolation prizes, adding that the tournament is designed to have an international flavour that every enthusiast and Cross Riverian would be proud of.
In his response, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, commended Cross Riverians for always thinking out of the box with innovative ideas and diversifying into multidimensional ventures that have opened up the State for foreign direct investment capable of transforming the State in no distant time.
"This tournament is taking the carnival to a different dimension and creating a platform for golf lovers to also be part of the fun-filled season in the State," he said.
Cobham expressed delight that the tournament is debuting this year and would afford residents the opportunity to watch international golfers live in Calabar, stressing that the traffic the event would generate will translate into tangible economic gains for small businesses.
"We are ready to partner with the LOC and will mobilise all the information apparatus of the State as well as national and international platforms to promote the event," he assured.
By Nakanda Iyadim
