Connect with us

General News

Coca-Cola, Special Olympics Call for More Inclusive Society

Published

on

(L-r):  Clem Ugorji, director, Public Affairs & Communication, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Emmanuel Ekomabasi, Coca- Cola representative at The Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles, Adeola Adetunji, managing director, Coca- Cola Nigeria Limited,  and Coca- Cola representative George Osadalor, during the Welcome Reception held for the 2015 Special Olympics Nigeria Team which took place at Vigeo Holdings, Ikoyi, Lagos recently.
Kindly share this post

Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited and Special Olympics Nigeria have restated their mutual commitment to work with all stakeholders to advance an inclusive society that promotes equal opportunities for every Nigerian, regardless of any form of disability, to reach for their dreams.

Both organizations stated this in Lagos recently during a welcome reception for the Nigerian Contingent to the Special Olympics 2015 World Summer Games, which held between Saturday, July 25 and Monday, August 3, 2015 in Los Angeles, United States of America.

Speaking at the event,  Adeola Adetunji, managing director, Coca-Cola Nigeria, stated that Coca-Cola’s longstanding sponsorship of the Special Olympics at the global level and here in Nigeria is in line with the company’s mission to inspire optimism and make a difference in the communities.

According to Adetunji, as a founding partner of the Special Olympics since 1968, Coca-Cola is pleased that the movement continues to empower and inspire thousands of persons living with intellectual disabilities to believe in their abilities and to reach for their dreams.

He said, “As we celebrate these gallant athletes, let us remember that, they are heroes today only because they had the opportunity provided by Special Olympics. Let us also remember that for each one of these heroes, there are more than a thousand others whose talents and potentials may never be realized and celebrated, just because they have no opportunity.  But we, as individuals, as companies, as a society and as a country, must not allow this to be the case.”

Advertisement

Commending two of Coca-Cola’s employees, George Osadalor and Emmanuel Ekomabasi, who were volunteer members of the Special Olympics Nigeria Unified Soccer Team that won the football gold medal at the games, Adetunji said, “Our excitement at this particular victory is enriched by the fact that, these two Coca-Cola Ambassadors were a great inspiration to the victorious soccer team.”

Victor Gbolade Osibodu, chairman, Special Olympics Nigeria Board of Directors, also expressed his gratitude to Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, stating that the company’s adoption of the Unified Soccer games since 2013 and the general support for the Special Olympics Nigeria since it was inaugurated in 2005 have helped to improve the athletes’ performance.

On their part, parents and siblings of some of the special athletes shared stories of the transformational impact of the training and support provided by Special Olympics Nigeria in the lives of their intellectually disabilities family members.

Mrs Esther Jegede, mother of Samuel Jegede who won two medals at the games said, “I am moved beyond words, I cannot thank enough all those who made this possible. Today I am a proud parent of a child who was said would amount to nothing. I am grateful to the Special Olympics Nigeria and Coca-Cola for turning my sorrow to joy.” 

The 42 Nigerian contingents to the Special Olympics World Games participated in seven sporting activities, including Table Tennis, Athletics, Badminton, Aquatics, Basketball, Cycling, and Unified Soccer, grabbing a whopping 71 medals made up of 36 Gold, 26 Silver and 9 Bronze medals.

Advertisement


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

General News

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Chinonso Akujobi, former staff of Access Bank in Lagos, has been remanded in Ikoyi prison after she was arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on stealing to the tune of N294.5m.

Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m

Akujobi who is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was arraigned before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

EFCC alleged that Akujobi stole the money between January and December 2025 while under the employment of Access Bank Plc.

As stated in one the charges, the defendant stole the money through unauthorized payments from the general ledger of Access Bank to her account number 0036668871 with the name Chinonso A., Uchechi A. and Florence A., thereby committing an offence of stealing, contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

‎The defendant pleaded “not guilty“ to the charges when they were read to her.

Advertisement

‎In view of this, S.M.Yabo, prosecution counsel, asked the court for a trial date and also prayed for the remand of the defendant in a Correctional centre.

Justice Ijelu, thereafter, adjourned the case till October 8, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application and the commencement of trial.

The Judge also ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Ikoyi correctional Centre.

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident

Published

on

Kindly share this post

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) says the flight captain of the VMO Aero aircraft that landed on a roadway near Asaba Airport in Delta State told investigators that the observer pilot mistakenly identified the paved road as the runway before touchdown.

The bureau disclosed this in a preliminary report released on Thursday on the June 10 incident, which prompted the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ground the private jet.

The aircraft had seven people on board, including the pilot-in-command (PIC), second-in-command (SIC), an observer pilot, a cabin crew member and three passengers.

According to the report, the aircraft was cleared by Air Traffic Control (ATC) to approach Runway 11 at Asaba Airport after the crew requested a right orbit.

The crew initially discontinued the approach, executed a missed approach and repositioned for a second landing attempt.

Advertisement

NSIB said the crew reported that the aircraft’s navigation systems indicated it was correctly established on the published RNAV Runway 11 approach.

“The PIC and SIC reported that the observer pilot identified the paved surface ahead as the runway,” the report stated.

However, the observer pilot gave investigators a different version of events.

According to NSIB, he said the aircraft remained inside cloud until late in the approach and that the Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) repeatedly issued “TERRAIN, TERRAIN, PULL UP” alerts.

He also said he observed a telecommunications mast directly ahead and instructed the flight captain to abandon the approach and climb immediately.

Advertisement

The bureau further disclosed that a cabin crew member reported that one of the passengers became concerned after overhearing discussions among the pilots and asked whether one of them was undergoing training. The passenger was reportedly reassured that all three pilots on board were experienced captains.

NSIB said no abnormal events were reported in the cabin before touchdown.

The aircraft eventually landed at about 8:57 a.m. on an under-construction paved roadway near Asaba Airport instead of the designated runway.

The bureau said its investigation into the incident is ongoing, while the preliminary report highlights conflicting accounts among the cockpit crew over the circumstances that led to the erroneous landing.

Advertisement

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

General News

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

Published

on

Kindly share this post

European Union has warned Meta Platforms Inc. that it could face a significant financial penalty unless it changes what regulators describe as the “addictive design” features of Facebook and Instagram.

EU warns Meta over addictive Facebook, Instagram designs, threatens fines

The European Commission issued the warning in preliminary findings released on Friday, saying Meta had failed to sufficiently address risks posed by its platforms, particularly to children and vulnerable users.

The Commission said features such as infinite scrolling, personalised content recommendations and automatic video playback were designed in ways that encouraged excessive engagement with the platforms.

EU Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said protecting the physical and mental well-being of European citizens should be a priority for social media companies.

The Commission said Meta should consider introducing design changes, including disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, providing effective screen-time reminders and adjusting recommendation systems to reduce the focus on maximising user engagement.

Advertisement

The findings were issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which sets obligations for major online platforms to address risks associated with their services.

Meta, however, rejected the Commission’s conclusions, saying it disagreed with the findings but would continue engaging with European regulators.

The company said it had already implemented measures aimed at protecting younger users, including Teen Accounts that allow parents to manage screen time limits and restrict access during night hours.

The EU said its investigation, which began in 2024, found that existing time-management tools on Facebook and Instagram could easily be bypassed, while parental controls required technical knowledge that limited their effectiveness.

Regulators also expressed concerns over children’s nighttime use of the platforms and the possibility that features such as Reels and Stories could encourage compulsive behaviour.

Advertisement

If the Commission’s preliminary findings are confirmed, Meta could face a fine of up to six per cent of its annual global revenue under the DSA.

The warning comes as the EU steps up efforts to strengthen online safety measures for children, with an expert panel established by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected to present recommendations on protecting minors online.

Several EU member states, including France, have also supported discussions on restricting social media access for children, following Australia’s decision to ban users under 16 from accessing social media platforms.

Meanwhile, the Commission is continuing a separate investigation into whether Meta’s recommendation algorithms create “rabbit hole” effects by directing users towards increasingly extreme content.

Advertisement

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending