The Abeokuta Polo Club is set to host a high-profile groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday, May 17, 2025, unveiling a sprawling development project that redefines the role of sport in national development.
The event, scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. at the club’s newly acquired 100-acre site, will feature a live polo match and will be chaired by the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Dr. Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, who is expected to perform the symbolic blessing of the land.
Speaking ahead of the ceremony, President of the Abeokuta Polo Club, Dr. Sheriff Adams Abdulrahmon, described the project as “a dream taking shape”—one that transcends polo and sets a new standard for community-focused development.
“This is a place where culture meets compassion,” Abdulrahmon said. “We are building more than a polo arena.
“We are building a legacy—one that speaks to the cultural pride of Abeokuta, the aspirations of our youth, and the future of our people.”
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.
Perhaps most notably, the project will include a trauma centre—the first of its kind within any polo club in Nigeria—designed to serve both the sporting community and the wider public.
Abdulrahmon emphasized that while the club is not yet affiliated with national bodies such as the Nigerian Polo Federation (NPF) or the Nigerian Polo Association (NPA), discussions are ongoing, with a focus on raising the standard of the sport in the region.
“We’re not just here to play polo,” he said. “We are here to train the next generation. Through our youth engagement programs, clinics, and competitions, we aim to democratize access to the sport and ensure that Abeokuta becomes a breeding ground for future champions.”
Chairman of the Groundbreaking Committee, Mr. Abiodun Lashile, underscored the scale and ambition of the project, calling it “an elite society in the making and an economic powerhouse in waiting.”
“Polo is a demanding sport—it takes ten football fields to host a single game. But what we’re doing goes beyond that.
“We are creating a space that will attract global attention, investments, and innovation,” Lashile said.
He also revealed that the club had begun community and stakeholder engagement efforts during the Lisabi Festival and has since been visible on media platforms in Abeokuta and Lagos, as well as in traditional institutions and elite circles.
“We are not doing this halfway,” he said.
“We have involved kings, chiefs, technocrats, and financial experts. What we’re launching on May 17 is not just a construction site—it’s a statement of purpose, vision, and excellence.”
The development signals a bold shift in how polo and its associated communities are perceived in Nigeria, aiming to merge luxury, sports, and public service in one unified space.
Stakeholders say the project could serve as a national model for integrating sport with sustainable development and cultural heritage.
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