By: Lauretta Fagbohun, Abeokuta.
On Saturday, May 17, 2025, the Abeokuta Polo Club will host a landmark groundbreaking ceremony to officially launch an ambitious development project poised to redefine the intersection of polo sport and national development in Nigeria.
Described by the club’s president, Dr. Sheriff Adams Abdulrahman, as a “quiet revolution,” the initiative is unfolding along the tranquil stretch between Kobape and Onipepeye in Abeokuta. According to him, it is a movement led by horses, steeped in history, and driven by a bold vision for economic revival. The establishment of the Abeokuta Polo Club, he noted, marks a transformative step for Ogun State, blending elite sport with tourism, youth empowerment, and infrastructure advancement.
Spearheaded by Dr. Abdulrahman and Chief Dr. Abiodun Lasile, the Orunto of Owu and Chairman of the Groundbreaking Committee, the project transcends traditional notions of a sports facility. It represents a strategic, multidimensional effort to reshape the economic and social fabric of the region, positioning Abeokuta as a rising hub of innovation, culture, and dynamic growth.
“The corridor between interchange and Abeokuta is opening up for industries,” said Chief Lasile. “Now imagine driving into the state capital and being welcomed by serenity, sport, and sophistication. That’s what Abeokuta Polo is set to deliver.”
Beyond the grandeur of the game, the club will serve as a catalyst for tourism and cultural preservation. Ogun State, rich in history yet lacking symbolic infrastructure beyond Olumo Rock, OOPL, and Adire Mall, now stands at the cusp of redefining its heritage through this integrated sporting complex.
According to him, the multipurpose development will feature a professional-grade polo field occupying 15 acres, as well as residential estates, a cinema, an amphitheatre, and an arts and culture centre dedicated to Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The club plans to build not only one of Nigeria’s largest polo stables but also a full-service tourist and business ecosystem that includes sporting clinics, youth training centers, and real estate development. “We’re running this on an integrated business model,” Dr. Abdulrahman explained. “This is not just polo this is 360-degree economic stimulation.”
Inclusivity is a core tenet of the project. From youth focused polo clinics to female rider representation, Abeokuta Polo Club aims to break stereotypes and nurture homegrown talent in a sport historically seen as elitist and northern-dominated.
“Ogun is ready,” Dr Abdulrahman affirmed. “The government has given us a supportive ecosystem, and now it’s our duty to showcase what the state has to offer. Just as Afrobeats has rebranded Nigeria to the world, we want polo to redefine Ogun’s global image.”
As bulldozers move in and the groundbreaking phase begins, one thing is clear, the Abeokuta Polo Club is not just building fields for sport. It’s laying the groundwork for a new chapter in Ogun State’s cultural and economic story.
