The 2023 Access Bank UNICEF Polo Tournament concluded over the weekend, leaving
participants, especially underprivileged children, with smiles on their faces. The sponsoring bank, Access Bank, generously donated N10 million to benefit the underprivileged children.
In addition to the donation, the bank unveiled new school uniforms for the children, who were the primary beneficiaries of the tournament.
The tournament, known as the Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield polo tourney, witnessed thrilling victories for the Access Bank and Abuja YBL polo teams. They emerged as champions of the Charity Shield and Usman Dantata Cup, respectively.
The Charity Shield initially started in 2003 to support local charity organizations in Kaduna. Since 2006, the tournament has been exclusively dedicated to UNICEF intervention projects for orphans and vulnerable children in Kaduna State.
In 2008, Access Bank Group significantly boosted the Charity Shield by entering into a multi-year sponsorship deal. Consequently, the tournament has become one of the most well-supported charity events in the history of Nigerian sports.
The funds generated from these collaborations are utilized to meet the various needs of the children, including healthcare and educational supplies. During the event, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, unveiled newly designed uniforms and shoes for the pupils of the Access Bank Fifth Chukker Maraban Jos Primary School.
Balarabe urged parents, particularly mothers, to ensure their children receive an education and refrain from engaging in street trading, begging, or other exploitative activities.
Roosevelt Ogbonna, the Managing Director of Access Bank, promised the children
additional amenities, emphasizing the bank’s commitment to improving the lives of
Nigerians. He acknowledged the impact of the UNICEF Charity Shield initiative on the lives
of orphaned and vulnerable children in Kaduna State and its environs.
Ogbonna stated that the bank’s donation reaffirmed its dedication to promoting education in the state and supporting UNICEF’s campaign against HIV/AIDS among Nigerian children.
Dr. Gerrida Birukila, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, expressed gratitude for the
donation, emphasizing the need for further support to improve the lives of the orphans and vulnerable children. At the tournament’s final games, Team Access Bank emerged victorious over Jos Malcomines to secure the Charity Shield, while the YBL team from Abuja triumphed over Katsina Max Air to claim the Usman Dantata Cup.
