2018 Winter Olympics star launches Covid-19 Relief Initiative for Nigerians

2018 Winter Olympics star launches Covid-19 Relief Initiative for Nigerians

By Niyi Busari

As the global community battles with the economic hardship as occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, Seun Adigun alongside some Nigerians sportsmen in diaspora have come together to reach out to Nigerians.

The project launched on the 21st of July, 2020 in Lagos State started with distribution of relief materials to 240 families from The Obele Odan Community in Surulere which also captured some basketball players, members of Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria (BSFN) & 14 members of the Lagos Chapter of the Sport Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).

The "Dr. Seun CARES" initiative founded by Adigun who at the 2018 Winter Olympics became one of the first few Nigerians to qualify and compete at the Winter games bobsled event is targeted at helping those in need as well as bring awareness to important health and social issues around the world.

As part of the bigger picture, the project will spread its distribution across other states within the 6 geo-political zones in the coming weeks and months.

“Our main objective is to provide foodstuff in 10 different states within the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria with a target of 100 families per state, create job opportunities by designating a Regional Leader within each state and purchasing resources from the local markets.

“We will also engage and uplift the community camaraderie by enlisting volunteer workers (Regional Deputies) within their respective areas to come to the aid of their fellow local compatriots”, Adigun said.

Explaining how the COVID-19 Relief Initiative works, the Houston based chiropractor, “The initiative seeks to achieve this feat by uniting the support of notable sports figures connected to Nigeria, or of Nigerian descent, who are based in the diaspora to utilize their global influence in supporting families in Nigeria.”

“Special thanks must go to sons and daughters of Nigeria who have contributed to this initiative such as Mike Edwards, Wande Olabisi, Nneka Ogwumike, Moe Sasegbon, TJ Adeshola, Larry “The Natural” Ekundayo, Ola Adeniyi, Tayo Adesanya, Umar “Top Boxer” Sadiq, and Amobi Okoye who saw the bigger picture of catering for our people back home.”

Meanwhile, the initiative is calling on the support and partnership of other public sports figures to join its current supporters (Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, Inc and Nigerians in Diaspora Commission) to bring the project to fruition.