The Orseer Ikyaator Foundation has announced the 2nd Dr. Joseph Ikyaator Tennis Open, a landmark tennis event scheduled to take place from December 16th to 23rd, 2025, in Makurdi, Benue State. This year’s competition promises to be a historic milestone for Benue and Nigeria, elevating grassroots tennis development to national prominence.
Building on the success of the inaugural tournament, the 2025 edition will feature a National Ranking Tournament, sanctioned to feature Nigeria’s highest-ranked professional players. This marks the first time in Nigerian tennis history that Benue State will host a nationally ranked competition, positioning Makurdi as a new destination for elite tennis in Nigeria.
For one week, Makurdi will become the National Tennis Capital of Nigeria, attracting top-ranked athletes, coaches, officials, and spectators from across the country. The tournament boasts a prize money of Ten Million Naira (₦10,000,000) and Five Million Naira (₦5,000,000) in scholarships dedicated to juniors and local grassroots tennis development programs.
“The tournament is a gift to Benue, a platform for our youth, and a celebration of tennis excellence in Nigeria,” said Orseer Ikyaator, Founder and President of the Orseer Ikyaator Foundation. “We are opening the doors of Benue tennis to the national level and making our state a focal point of tennis history this Christmas.”
The Dr. Joseph Ikyaator Tennis Open aims to attract top tennis players from across Nigeria, promote talent beyond traditional strongholds, and strengthen Benue as a leading sports hub. The event is expected to bring sports tourism, economic activity, and festive excitement to Makurdi, as families, athletes, and spectators converge on the city during the Christmas season.
The tournament is named in honor of Dr. Joseph Ikyaator, a distinguished figure and pioneer whose legacy reflects discipline, charity, leadership, and commitment to talent development.
The Orseer Ikyaator Foundation is a nonprofit initiative committed to education, health, sports development, and community empowerment through strategic programs that uplift youth and create lasting social impact in Nigeria. The foundation has led innovative sports initiatives across Benue, including the Joseph Ikyaator Tennis Open, renovation of community courts, school tennis outreach programs, and various youth sporting events.
