By Eguasa Godspower
The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki has urged members of the Benin Club Gulf Section to leverage the friendly business environment provided by his administration to attract private sector investors into the club to drive sustainable development and global competitiveness.
Obaseki gave the charge on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, while receiving the captain of the golf club, Mr. Joseph Idahosa, and other executive members during their courtesy visit to the Government House to solicit the State’s support towards the upgrading the facilities of the club.
Obaseki said: Let me start by congratulating the committee for your successful elections and for having resumed work in earnest to improve the golfers’ facilities in the club.
“As you know, the golf club, Benin Golf Club is a premier golf club but unfortunately, the course is not as standard, and therefore you can’t have some type of tournaments in the club. So, we are naturally restricted and therefore, it is important that, given the limited space you have, you want to make the 13 holes you play, quite classic and unique in their own way.
“You are also fortunate like you said that senior members of Government are now golfers and I believe it’s an advantage that with our participation and constant use of the facilities have attracted a lot of members to the section which I believe you can capitalize on.
An avid golfer himself, the Governor urged the club to look beyond state sponsorship and position itself to maximise the tourist traffic into Benin pointing out that: “We are also seeing from the activities of government, that a lot of corporate bodies are being attracted to the city and to the State.
“While we are there to support, I believe that the bulk of the work will have to be done by the committee because you are in a better situation than many committees of the past.
“I don’t know whether you have made any offers or proposals to any of the hotels that are emerging in the city. People come and they want to have a golfing experience. I mean, these are all things you can do to build patronage, build usage, and increase revenues, and it’s more sustainable that way.”
According to Obaseki, “we are going to be advising that you utilize the advantage, the opportunity we are seeing in the economy of the State to sell the incentives of the club and I’m confident that the kind of resources you are looking for you will be able to raise if you go out into the market”.
The captain of the golf club, Mr. Joseph Idahosa commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for the State’s continuous support and partnership in driving sustainable growth and development in the club.
Idahosa said the club is fortunate to have the Governor, his deputy, Rt. Honourable Comrade Philip Shaibu, and the Secretary to the State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq., as members of the club, and appealed for the State’s support in surmounting the current challenge it’s facing.
Idahosa said: “the major challenge we are facing as a section is towards our modernization upgrading of the clubhouse. Second on the list is irrigation of the course with Up-to-date equipment and procurement”.
