Buratai gets souvenirs as African Ambassadors Golf Tournament drops fundraising

Former Chief of Army Staff Tukur Y. Buratai has received the official goodie bag and souvenirs for the African Ambassadors Golf Tournament, whose organisers have removed fundraising from the event’s programme. The tournament will now centre on golf, diplomacy, networking and friendship.

Buratai, a member of the League of African Ambassadors’ Board of Trustees, accepted the items during a courtesy visit by the Nigeria Golf Tournament Planning Committee. The delegation was led by its chairman, Ambassador Ben Okoyen, and met Buratai last Thursday ahead of the tournament.

The two-day event is scheduled for August 29 and 30, 2026, at the Ibom Golf and Country Club in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. It is being organised under Buratai’s auspices, with the committee highlighting his role in African diplomacy and his standing within the diplomatic community.

Okoyen said the decision to end the fundraising component followed a resolution by the League of African Ambassadors’ Executive Committee. The change gives the tournament a more defined sporting and diplomatic purpose, with competition on the course combined with opportunities for informal engagement.

Ambassadors, diplomats, government officials, business leaders and friends of Africa are expected to form part of the event’s wider community. The organisers see golf as a setting where participants can build relationships and strengthen cooperation away from formal diplomatic meetings.

Buratai thanked the committee for the visit and accepted the souvenirs. His support remains linked to the League’s initiatives and to the tournament’s aim of using sport to promote relationships among participants. With fundraising no longer part of the format, the organisers’ attention is focused on staging two days of golf and diplomatic interaction in Uyo.