The director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has hinted that the council would soon roll out a Golf Culture, after it has instituted regular sporting activities for its staff.
According to Runsewe, the tournament would drive cultural values in Nigeria, as it would exhibit the country’s cultural approach to the game.
He added that the council was also thinking of how to incorporate children into the sport, to enable them understand Nigeria’s culture and create job opportunities for the nation’s teeming youths.
“Soon, the first cultural approach to the game of golf will come up in Nigeria. We are working on it and we hope to incorporate some kid golfers. It is an event related to culture.
Basically, my vision is that any cultural approach we initiate should result in the creation of jobs for Nigerians. Culture is all about sports and we need all these in our upcoming event.
“Unfortunately, most times, we tend to give more focus and interest to football. I have always said it, like I did during a tour in 2012, that if Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal play today, they would not make one-third of the appearance fee of renowned golfer, Tiger wood.
The enthusiastic amateur golfer also echoed the need for Nigeria to join South Africa and Zimbabwe by tapping from the $6billion fortune realizable by Africa from golf business in 2020, saying that the global revenue in sports was massive.
“By 2020 there would be $6billion fortune in golf globally. Only two African countries, South Africa and Zimbabwe have keyed into it. I want to key Nigeria into that by talking to major golf brands for them to come here and change our sporting profile.
“For instance, if Tiger Woods appears to play golf now in any major tournament, the returns would, probably, be greater than the revenue generated by Manchester United and Chelsea,” he said.