The Nigerian Women Bobsled Team (Driver Seun Adigun and brake women Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga) has qualified for the first time ever, for the bobsled event at the 2018 Winter Olympics Games in PyeongChang.
Driver Seun Adigun, Brakemen Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga completed the fifth of their required five qualifying races, becoming the first African team, men or women, to qualify in the Bobsled category.
The Nigeria team, led by Driver Adigun – a former African 100m hurdles champion and 2012 summer Olympian – completed races in Utah, one in Whistler, and their final two races in Calgary.
Driver Adigun stated:
“This is a huge milestone for sports in Nigeria, nothing makes me prouder than to know that I can play a small role in creating opportunities for winter sports to take place in Nigeria. Our objective now is to be the best representation of Africa that the Winter Olympics have ever witnessed.”
Solomon Ogba, President of the Bobsled and Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, was understandably thrilled at the achievement, saying via a media statement:
“I commend the personal dedication and commitment of these women. Their hard work was inspiring and I hope Nigerians can appreciate what it took for them to achieve this – the work, the discipline, and the personal sacrifices. They were amazing throughout this journey. They are all very successful people in their own right – in sports and out of it, and somehow they are still motivated and still push for more success.
I have watched them train and work hard to represent Nigeria at the Winter Olympics in a very technical and high risk sport and they have achieved that. They should be very proud, and I am very proud of them.”
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has appointed Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon as its Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa.
According to Guebray Berhane, the Senior Communication Officer of ILO Regional Office for Africa in Abidjan, in a statement:
“Guy Ryder, the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), after having duly consulted the Officers of the Governing Body, has appointed Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon of Nigeria as Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire with effect from Nov. 10, 2017.”
Sportsman of the year – Aruna Quadri
Sportswoman of the year – Odunayo Adekuroye
Woman footballer of the year – Asisat Oshoala
Footballer of the year (Men) – Victor Moses
Ball sports person of the year – Evelyn Akhator
Team of the year – D’ Tigress
Wrestler of the year – Odunayo Adekuroye
Special sports person of the year – Hannah Babalola
Discovery of the year – Georgia Oboh
Coach of the year – Akuh Purity
Journalist of the year (radio) – Anthony Bekederemo
Journalist of the year (TV) – Promise Efoghe
Journalist of the year (print) – Lekan Okusan
Photo journalist of the year – Olusegun Aderinto
Sports governor of the year – Akinwunmi Ambode and Udom Emmanuel
Sports administrator of the year – Waheed Enitan Oshodi and Daniel Igali
Special recognition – Amaju Pinnick
Lifetime achievement – Pa Fabio Lanipekun (formerly of NTA Sports)
Olusegun Arowolo, has invented a cocoa pod breaking machine to boost the production of the commodity as well as encourage more Nigerians to take into cocoa farming.
Mr. Olusegun Arowolo said the idea of inventing the machine was conceptualised to complete the mechanisation of cocoa plantation so as to take cocoa farming to large scale industrial dimension.
According to Mr. Arowolo:
“This machine was invented in order to encourage people, both young and old, especially school leavers to have interest and fun in going into cultivation of cocoa thereby reducing unemployment rate among the populace. The machine is to ease the hardship being encountered by farmers on cocoa plantation and boost production as well as increase internally generated revenue of the state.
The cocoa pod breaking machine was invented by me and it is the first of its kind worldwide and can break 20,000 to 30,000 pods per hour. Also, it is important to state that the cocoa season is around the corner and so the machine will complement the already available spraying and moving machine in the market.”
Nigeria has become the only country in Africa to have its two airports attain Global Safety Standard certified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the only country in West Africa sub-region with internationally certified airports.
This was made known by the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman during the ceremony to mark the certification of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Last September, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos was certified, thus recognising two major airports in the country as meeting global safety standards.
Two Nigerian business owners, Mr. Precious Adeho and Mrs. Ngozi Deborah Atalor, have emerged winners in the 2017 Shell LiveWIRE Top Ten Innovators competition, a global contest open to beneficiaries of Shell LiveWIRE, and aimed at rewarding shining cases of innovation in businesses supported by the programme.
The two Nigerians won the Merit prize along with four others in the same category, while businesses from the United Kingdom and Pakistan took the top and runner-up awards. The winners were announced during the Global Entrepreneurship Week holding November 13 – 17 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Jessey Uche-Nwichi and Munachi Ernest-Eze have emerged overall winners respectively in the junior and senior categories of the 2017 Cowbellpedia Maths Quiz.
By winning the 2017 Cowbellpedia Maths Quiz, Jessey Uche-Nwichi and Munachi Ernest-Eze emerge Nigeria’s youngest next inventors.
Munachi made history however, having won the 2015 edition in the junior category and coming back to win in the senior category.
Munachi is a 16-year-old student of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja. He was the Cowbellpedia 2015 junior champion and is the first person to win the competition twice, as a junior and as a senior.
Jessey Uche-Nwichi is a 13-year-old student of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Each of the champions got ₦1 million and an all-expense paid education excursion outside the country.
In the senior category, Munachi Ernest-Eze was trailed by Oluwanifise Onafowokan of The Ambassadors College, Ota, Ogun State and Evans Owamoyo of Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi Akoko, Ondo State, who finished as first and second runners-up respectively.
Michael Paul of Excel Grace Academy, Akaajime-Gboko, Benue State; Ikechukwu Ibeh of Federal Government College, Suleja, Niger State; and Tomiwa Olatunbosun of Bibo Oluwa Academy, Ilesha, Osun State were the other finalists in the Senior category.
Munachi Ernest-Eze said:
“I thank God for the end of the journey today. I am now confident to tell Nigerians that I was a Champion and I am a Champion again today. God has done it and it is marvellous in my eyes.”
Uche-Nwichi scored 115 points to confine Oluwafemi Adeyanju of Jesuit Memorial College, Port Harcourt, Rivers State and Ezekiel Ekanem of Advanced Breed Group of Schools, Sagamu, Ogun State to the second and third places respectively.
Uche-Nwichi dedicated his victory to God and his parents, while promising to maintain the momentum.
The first and second runners-up for each category won ₦750,000 and ₦500,000 respectively.
Each teacher of the 2017 champions in each category was rewarded with ₦400,000, while those of the first and second runners-up received ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 respectively.
Also, the winning schools won Mathematics textbooks, desktop computers and printers.
According to the Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Anders Einarsson:
“The programme has absolutely met its objectives.
We are committed to this initiative and by next year, we will celebrate 20 years of Mathematics and Cowbell.”
In his remarks, the Registrar of the National Examination Council, Prof. Charles Uwakwe, commended Promasidor for the Cowbellpedia initiative and stated that education remained the best legacy parents and society could give to children.
Uwakwe pledged NECO’s continued technical support for the project in appreciation of what he described as Promasidor’s great Corporate Social Responsibility to the Nigerian society.
The journey of the finalists began when 52,000 students wrote a preliminary test. Out of the 52,000, 108 made it to the live-show. These 108 were the 74 best junior and senior students from all 36 states and the FCT (to ensure every state is represented). The remaining 34 were the best students nationwide – 17 junior and senior. In the end, 12 finalists emerged – 6 in the junior and senior categories and 2 of them (Munachiso and Jessey) won the grand prize of 1 million Naira each, an all-paid educational excursion outside the country and the ultimate bragging rights of being the 2017 Mathematics Champions.