The IBB International Golf and Country Club, one of Abuja’s iconic green spaces, is crying for help — not just to restore its aging infrastructure but to save the wildlife that has long called it home.
During a visit to the club, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, promised that the current administration would not sit by while the club deteriorates or falls into private hands.
Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, Chair of the club’s Board of Trustees and President of the Court of Appeal, made a passionate appeal, warning that the facility is on the brink of collapse. She emphasized that a prolonged shutdown could drive away the animals — including monkeys, snakes, and birds that form part of the club’s ecosystem.
Describing the club’s condition as “in the ICU,” she urged the government to intervene before it’s too late. She noted that the club urgently needs heavy-duty equipment for maintenance and restructuring, but lacks the financial muscle to provide them.
Wike, visibly moved by the appeal, assured that the government has no intention of handing the property over to private interests. He issued a stern warning to those he called “troublemakers,” making it clear that under the Tinubu-led government, attempts to hijack public property will be firmly resisted.
“We’re not here for games,” he said. “We’re investing in this place to revive it, bring people back, and make it profitable for the government. No blackmail or interference will change that.”
Founded in 1991 for just 29 elite members, the club now hosts over 5,000 members — a number that has overwhelmed its original design and created tensions over governance and management. Internal leadership tussles have only worsened the situation.
With nature and heritage hanging in the balance, the IBB Golf Club’s fate now rests on whether the promised intervention arrives in time before the fairways fade and the monkeys vanish.
