General News
Making the Most of London 2012
My last assignment as a sports journalist was at the 2006 National Sports Festival (NSF) in Abeokuta and Ijebu Ode, Ogun State – the same year Germany hosted FIFA’s World Cup Finals. Six years is a pretty long time, and I was wondering how the London Games would go by without me putting a word.
But times have also changed. I moved from being a sports reporter to a technology writer, after a spell as Communications’ Consultant with one of the nation’s brightest firms in Lagos. But what do the Games of the XXX Olympiad hold in stock for humanity? Are Nigerians really in the mix for a better outing? What new technological innovations are we likely to experience with the London 2012 Games?
For starts, the London 2012 Games would be the most viewed programme on television in the history of humanity. Olympic officials estimate an incredible four billion people across the world would atleast watch one sports of the games through the 17 days of this summer.
That would double the figures of Beijing, China in 2008 where it was recorded that 1.3 billion Chinese (alone) watched the closing events. Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), noted then that it was the most watched event in human history.
“We had more broadcast coverage to more people, in more places than ever,” said Rogge during his closing news conference in the Chinese capital. Now, South Sudan would be added as a nation of people who watched the games this summer.
Each games come with its own peculiarity: broadcast innovations, marketing breakthroughs and entertainment values. The London 2012 Games are already awash with what it would bequeath mankind. Costs are mind-bugging as governments of host cities go all out to secure financing for the Games.
A BBC cost overview of the London 2012 Games shows why poor countries would never afford to host the Olympics. “On 15 March 2007 the government announced the budget for the Games had risen from £2.4 billion to £9.35 billion, although it said the cost of the Games would be £5.3 billion.”
So how did that work out? “New venues cost £3.1 billion – these include the Olympic Park at Stratford and the athletes’ village. £1.7 billion spent on regeneration and infrastructure. £600m spent on extra security – the government of David Cameron is already crossed with the private security firm contracted to provide security for the Games. The UK government had to call in over 3, 500 soldiers to help provide additional security.
“The government set aside £2.7 billion in a contingency fund in case costs rise further. The Olympics will have to pay an £840m tax bill. £390m will be spent on other costs, such as the Paralympics and community sport.
“Income: The government will provide £6 billion, with other funds coming from London council tax payers and the National Lottery. Further income will come from International Olympic
Committee TV and marketing deals (£560m); sponsorship and official suppliers (£450m); ticket revenues (£300m); licensing (£60m) and London Development Agency (£250m).
Other revenue sources for the Games will include: “9.6 million tickets for sale – 8 million for the Olympics and 1.6 million for the Paralympics.”
It shows the details LOCs take in planning and running the Games.
When Nigeria failed in its bid for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Canada, I remember asking a colleague how we would have succeeded in hosting the Commonwealth Games, seeing that we made a mess of the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja.
For the Beijing Games, one of America’s TV network, the National Broadcast Corporation (NBC), paid $894 million for the exclusive broadcast rights to the United States and it succeeded in generating more than $1 billion in advertising revenue.
The same cannot be said of Nigeria or any other African country – perhaps South Africa being an exception.
London 2012 would also present the most diverse mix of media coverage than at any other Olympics.
The internet will be awash with Olympic contents, especially on social media platforms like twitter, google+, facebook or youtube.
Viewers are expected to plant themselves through either of these platforms to follow the Olympic trends.
For the Nigerian viewer, it is still light years behind the technological age.
The irregular public electricity supply is nolonger news worthy for media outlets.
The promised Eldorado after the landing of two submarine fibres has not delivered the much hyped broadband freedom.
Download speed is still not faster than a snail crawl.
Watching internet TV is laborious and tasks the eyes and brain.
Transmission on the local terrestrial TV networks would not give accurate account, as most events won’t be broadcast live. Viewers would be limited to DTH options for the full Olympic experience.
But even then, I gloss over what would excite the Nigerian viewer to budget for extra fuel cost just to power his generator set to view any of the events?
The Nigerian contingent to the Games didn’t provide any gold medal excitements.
The qualification of the men’s basketball team was as exciting as it come – no medal prospect.
Perhaps one sport Nigerians might think of watching could be in the men canoeing where the Anglo-Nigeria Johny Adeyemi, 23, competes having eliminated the Beijing 2008 bronze medalist to get listed for London 2012.
Akinyemi’s feat over the much rated Benjamin Boukpeti, in canoe slalom, men’s kayak (K1) early this year makes him the most exciting individual Nigerian to watch-out.
Traditionally, track and field used to be a favourite medals prospect for Nigeria, but not anymore with several elite athletics defecting to European countries where there are better remunerations and affection for the athlete.
Last Friday, Benedict Efe, a Lagos based sports journalist was bemoaning the absence of the Nigerian football teams having watched Brazil made a mince-meat of the Cameroonian Lionesses.
But you can be sure that after London 2012, the government would go back to the drawing board for a better performance at the next Olympics!
Union Bank of Nigeria has reiterated its commitment to entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment through its alpher initiative by sponsoring the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Women and Youth Entrepreneurship Development Centre (WYEDC) Cohort 2 Programme, which has graduated 125 entrepreneurs who have benefited from firsthand entrepreneurship training and business grants.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria account for more than 50% of industrial employment and contribute approximately 48% to the country’s GDP.
This makes entrepreneurship one of the economy’s building blocks and is a testament to Union Bank’s unwavering dedication to national development in partnership with NBCC.
In her welcome speech, the Director General of NBCC, Dr. Ebere Njoku, reiterated NBCC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, and youth empowerment, citing these as catalysts for economic development and sustainability.
She appreciated the sponsors, partners and facilitators who devoted their resources and time to upskilling the participants.
The entrepreneurship initiative stemmed from the visionary goal of Mr. Ray Atelly, President and Chairman of the Council, NBCC, FRPA, to provide entrepreneurship and grant opportunities to Nigerian women and youths.
Mr. Atelly told the graduates in his speech, “This is your chance, make sure you take it. Don’t let any obstacle stop you because there will be many; if you let it stop you, your dreams are not strong enough. You need to keep pushing, someday you will sit at the top of a conglomerate and people will aspire to be like you.”
Also in attendance was the NBCC’s Patron, Senator Akin Odunsi, FRPA, who congratulated the Cohort 2 graduates.
He said, “I encourage all of you not to take the training you have received for granted. Use it as a landmark opportunity to be a beacon of hope to others who look up to you.”
He also urged the Chamber to provide internship opportunities after the six-month entrepreneurship training in organisations for the incoming Cohort 3 and beyond.
He added that the internship experience will give trainees the unique chance to practice what they learned and, in return, benefit the organisations from their acquired skills.
The goodwill message at the graduation ceremony was delivered on behalf of Mrs. Yetunde Oni, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Union Bank of Nigeria, by Mrs. Vivian Imoh-Ita, the Bank’s Head of Retail and SME Business, who appreciated NBCC for the life-transforming training they are providing to the youth and women entrepreneurs.
She further stated, “As a Bank, we understand that when we invest in women and youth entrepreneurs, we are investing in the most powerful catalysts of economic transformation. Through the Bank’s alpher initiative, we have enabled success for women-led businesses. In a volatile economy like Nigeria, the challenges facing entrepreneurs are dynamic and significant. As a Bank, we intend to prove that these barriers are not unconquerable and are growth opportunities.”
Three entrepreneurs, namely Evelyn Ekene Ani of Evani.Ng (First place), Martha Padonu of Beyond Photography (Second place), and Therietta Vershima of La Teriz (Third place) were declared winners of the Union Bank Business Pitch competition held during the graduation ceremony and were rewarded with funding for their businesses.
The Bank’s sponsorship of the training demonstrates its commitment to fostering a vibrant, innovative, and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women and all individuals.
The trial of three employees of Wema Bank Plc and four others accused of orchestrating N8.9 billion cyber heist has been stalled due to the Eid-el-Kabir public holiday.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned the bank staff—Samuel Asiegbu, Fabian Onyeimachi, and Kingsley Kejim—alongside four alleged accomplices: Hannah Okunlola Adesokan, Hamza Zakariya, Achionu Ubaku, and Sunday Osademe, before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on May 25, 2025.
The seven defendants face an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy, cybercrime, and obtaining money under false pretences. They were accused of hacking into Wema Bank’s computer systems in January 2025 and unlawfully transferring N8,568,090,500 to various accounts.
According S.O. Larry Peters, counsel, EFCC, the defendants acted in concert with two other suspects—Nurudeen Ibrahim and Alhaji Sulaiman—who are currently at large. The syndicate allegedly manipulated the bank’s data using sophisticated digital tools to cause financial loss and confer illegal economic gains on themselves.
Peters further revealed that two of the defendants—Hannah Okunlola and Sunday Osademe—provided personal bank accounts for the illicit proceeds. Investigators traced N199 million to Okunlola’s UBA account registered under Search Light Media Concept, and N2.25 million to Osademe’s Union Bank account.
The offences, according to the charge sheet, violate Sections 6(2), 8, 14(1), 14(5), and 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as well as Sections 17(a)(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act, 2004.
All seven defendants pleaded not guilty. Following their plea, the court remanded five of the accused in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services, while Kingsley Kejim continued on existing bail terms.
The court granted a special request by defence counsel to remand Hannah Okunlola in EFCC custody due to medical concerns.
Justice Aneke had adjourned the matter to June 6, 2025, for commencement of trial. However, due to the nationwide Sallah holiday declared by the federal government, the proceedings could not go ahead as scheduled.
A charge reads: “That you, Samuel Ihechukwu Asiegbu, Ejim Kingsley Kelechi, and others now at large, in January 2025, conspired to alter Wema Bank data to cause the loss of N8.568 billion in order to benefit economically, thereby committing an offence under Section 27(1)(a) of the Cybercrimes Act, 2015.”
The case has drawn significant attention as one of the most audacious cybercrime cases involving bank insiders in Nigeria’s recent history.
The 2025 Ojude Oba celebrations kicked off on Friday evening with “Evening with Glo,” a special event organized by Globacom and headlined by Juju music legend Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi and Fuji maestro Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (KWAM 1)
This year marks a significant milestone: Globacom’s 20th anniversary as sponsors of the Ojude Oba festival, an event it has helped transform into a globally recognized cultural spectacle.
The “Evening with Glo” was a vibrant mix of live music, delicious food, and captivating comedy from Gbenga Adeyinka, Bash, and Kiekie. The Conference Hall venue was packed as guests enjoyed more than two hours of Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi’s timeless hits, with the audience singing along and dancing.
Globacom organized the event as a gesture of appreciation to the Ijebu community for their unwavering support over the past two decades of the Ojude Oba festival. “We decided to bring together great sons and daughters of Ijebuland to celebrate our shared heritage, and indulge in the melodious rhythms that resonate deeply throughout Yorubaland,” the company stated.
The company explained their choice of musical icons, noting that the “ageless icon and Juju music maestro, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey, has contributed decades of good, sonorous and philosophical songs to our society. His songs are still as fresh and full of inspirational messages as they were yesterday.”
Regarding KWAM 1, the company highlighted that “For decades, King of Fuji, K1 De Ultimate, the Fuji master, has been a great part of the music firmament in Nigeria, with his unique brand of Fuji that has elicited huge interest.”
The event saw a strong turnout of prominent Ijebu figures, including the Olori of Oba Awujale, Chief Mrs. Olukemi Adetona; the Coordinator of Ojude Oba Festival Planning Committee, Professor Fassy Yusuff; and a committee member and Iyalode of Ijebuland, Chief Mrs. Bisi Osibogun.
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