The glittering Herbert Wigwe Memorial Cup will again provide the electricity that would the prestigious 2025 UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament that gallops-off with fanfare at the foremost Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Club in Kaduna, May23, 2025
According to the organizers, the premium African charity fiesta of the ten-day-long event is dedicated to the memory of Herbert Wigwe, the late former Group CEO of Access Corporation, who died in a helicopter crash along with his wife and son in California last year.
“Wigwe was a most beloved partner and benefactor, and he personally oversaw the realization of several impact-driven community projects benefitting orphaned and vulnerable children in northern Nigeria and especially in Kaduna State,” the release added.
Over twenty teams, listing several defending and former champions, have been confirmed to do battles for top honours across four handicap categories in this year’s Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo Tournament.
Apart from the glittering Wigwe Cup, our checks also revealed that other major prizes to be vied for during the UNICEF charity platform polo extravaganza include the event’s second biggest title, Access Bank Cup, Usman Dantata Cup, the crowded UNICEF Cup and the flagship Charity Shield.
Other top winners saw Jos-based Crown Polo and Mangal Cement emerge champions, securing the Access Bank Cup and the UNICEF Cup respectively. Both victories marked their first major triumphs in closely contested finals.
Another major highlight to watch out for this year, will expectedly be the popular Fifth Chukker Polo & Country Resort Children Day celebration. The event holding at the at the Access Bank Fifth Chukker School, Maraban-Jos in Kaduna will again be dedicated to the memory of Herbert Wigwe, the school’s co-founder.
The latest addition to the charity polo fiesta this year is the Dawule Baba Polo Cup hosted in honour of the Nigerian polo legend who passed on in Cairo, Egypt two weeks ago.
Last year, the charity Shield fundraising platform climaxed in an exciting victory for Fifth Chukker and Barbedos teams, highlighted by the inauguration of the Herbert Wigwe Cup and the commissioning of a school project by Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani.
The Fifth Chukker team achieved a double victory, winning both the Charity Shield and the newly introduced Herbert Wigwe Cup, while Kaduna Barbedos triumphed over Lagos MSD BabyBear in a closely contested final to win the Usman Dantata Cup.
