FirstBank Renews Georgian Cup Sponsorship as Kaduna Polo Tournament Opens
Image by Najim Kurfi
First Bank of Nigeria has renewed its sponsorship of the Georgian Cup, the polo tournament it has backed since 1919, as the 2026 edition opens at the Kaduna Polo Club. The partnership predates Nigerian independence by four decades and is among the longest-running corporate sponsorships in world sport, though the bank has never disclosed what it pays.
The tournament runs from 16 to 24 October and brings together leading teams and players from across Nigeria and beyond. FirstBank donated the trophy to the club more than a century ago, and it is regarded as the oldest polo trophy in West Africa. The bank describes the sponsorship as one of the longest-running sports sponsorships in the world, a claim the Kaduna Polo Club put forward to Guinness World Records at the tournament’s centenary in 2019. The 2026 sponsorship sits under First@Sport, the bank’s sports programme. No financial terms were disclosed.
“The Georgian Cup occupies a unique place in the history of Nigerian sport, and we are proud to continue our longstanding support for a tournament that has remained a benchmark for excellence in polo for over a century.” said Shehu Aliyu, Executive Director, Public Sector Directorate, FirstBank Group
“Our association with the Georgian Cup is the longest-standing for any legacy sport in Nigeria. We look forward to another exciting edition that celebrates skill, sportsmanship and the enduring appeal of the game.”
Aliyu oversees the bank’s public-sector business, and the Georgian Cup serves that relationship as much as the brand. Polo in northern Nigeria draws traditional rulers, officials and business leaders, an audience that matters to a bank with significant government clients. Measured that way, the sponsorship does not depend on broadcast reach or gate revenue, which helps explain how it has lasted through a civil war, several banking crises and changes in the bank’s ownership.
FirstBank’s wider sports portfolio
FirstBank’s wider sports portfolio follows a similar model. Its other long-standing properties, including the Lagos Amateur Open golf championship at Ikoyi Club, are hosted by members’ clubs rather than at large public stadiums. The Georgian Cup shows that long-term corporate commitment is achievable in Nigeria. Much of that support, however, has gone to club-based sports, while football, athletics and basketball, which have larger followings, have found multi-year deals of similar length harder to secure. With no fee or audience figures published, the sponsorship is also difficult to compare with others in the market.
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