Metro
World Chess Day: NOMA Celebrates EcoBank for Transformational Strides in Education Sector
As the World celebrates World Chess Day 2025, the Nigeria Online Media Alliance (NOMA) has commended EcoBank Nigeria for its outstanding contribution to education and youth development through its sustained investment in chess as a cognitive empowerment tool.
NOMA’s recognition comes in the wake of the highly successful EcoBank National School Team Chess Championship, which paraded over 2,000 students from more than 500 schools across Nigeria.
In her commendation, Chairperson of NOMA, Theresa Moses, in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Association, Mr. Oluwamuyiwa Oyedele said, “EcoBank is setting a powerful example of how the private sector can transform education and empower our youth through smart, skill-based initiatives like chess.
“We urge other stakeholders to recognize the potential of such platforms in building a stronger, smarter generation.”
The championship, held from June 26 to 28, 2025, at the EcoBank Pan African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, featured teams from primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, making it one of the most inclusive and impactful educational competitions of the year.
“As a truly pan-African bank, we are proud to again partner with the Chess Federation for this important championship,” said Adebukola Ademuyi, Head of Education Field and Social Services at EcoBank stated. This partnership supports our broader human capital development goals and aligns with our CSR strategy to empower young Nigerians intellectually and economically.”
Mr. Austin Osokpor, Head of Corporate Communications at EcoBank Nigeria, also emphasized the long-term impact of the initiative:
“We are proud to support this event, which plays a vital role in developing young talent in Nigeria. Chess is a silent teacher of strategy, patience, and resilience—all qualities we want to see in the future of this country. This tournament is a legacy project that will leave a lasting impact on education.”
The Nigeria Chess Federation, in collaboration with EcoBank and other stakeholders, created a platform for young players to showcase their talents, build strategic thinking skills, and foster unity across schools nationwide. The tournament also promotes social inclusion and indirectly creates jobs by encouraging the training and employment of chess instructors in schools.
As part of its commitment to education-focused advocacy, NOMA used the occasion of World Chess Day—celebrated every July 20th globally—to call on other corporate organizations to emulate EcoBank’s model of sustainable and purposeful investment in education.
However, NOMA reaffirms its commitment to promoting youth-centered development and celebrating partnerships that drive positive change.
World Chess Day, designated by the United Nations in 2019, marks the founding of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1924 and celebrates chess as a universal language that promotes peace, education, and global unity.
Globacom has entered into a strategic partnership with the Osun State Government to roll out 20,000 closed user group (CUG) lines for civil servants, teachers, local government staff and political appointees across the state.
The initiative, branded Imole Connect, is designed to foster seamless communication and collaboration among government workers, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
Speaking at the official launch in Osogbo on Wednesday, Governor Ademola Adeleke commended Globacom for supporting the state’s digital drive. He described the project as a crucial step towards bridging communication gaps in the public sector.
“With the launch of 20,000 Glo Imole Connect lines today, we are taking a bold step towards improving our public servants’ linkage across the State. These lines, operating under a closed user group (CUG) arrangement, come with significantly reduced call and data rates,” Governor Adeleke noted.
He further explained that, “one of the challenges in public governance has always been the difficulty of seamless communication. Information does not always move quickly or efficiently and this has often led to avoidable delays and disconnections between agencies and officers across different levels. With this new arrangement, I am confident that we will begin to close those gaps and work in closer alignment.”
On his part, Globacom’s National Head, Enterprise Business Group, Mr. Adeniyi Odejobi, assured that the company was committed to enhancing service delivery in Osun State through efficient communication.
“Globacom has transformed from being just a telecommunications company to being a digital solutions provider where we offer enterprise solutions to large organisations, government and public sector organisations to enhance digital economy and enhance the operations of smart cities in some sub nationals,” he explained.
Desirous of promoting the love for sciences and pursuit of careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Glo Foundation, Globacom’s corporate social responsibility arm, is staking millions of naira to promote STEM among girls across the country.
This is part of its programme for the celebration of this year’s edition of the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Foundation has put in place the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition for girls in Senior Secondary Schools across the country. The competition, a STEM-focused challenge, will see the winning schools carting home N5 million in prizes.
A statement from Glo Foundation explained that the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition is aimed at enabling girls in secondary schools to “Compete, Innovate and Win” in the competition and also enhance the confidence and knowledge of the girl child.
It also added that the competition “is our modest way at Glo Foundation of celebrating and encouraging the girl child to focus more on the studies of STEM subjects and pursue careers in these areas in future so as to become problem solvers for the country”.
The overall winning school with the best idea walks away with N2,000,000 prize, while the 2 Students who will represent the school will get a laptop each, and the Teacher/Mentor/STEM Coordinator gets a token of N200,000. The students of the schools that come 2nd and 3rd, as well as the Teachers/Mentors/STEM Coordinators will also get consolation prizes.
The registration for the Glo Foundation National Stem Competition tagged “Glo Innov8”, which kicked off on the Monday September 15th, will end on October 5, 2025.
To register for a chance to win, all that schools across Nigeria have to do is visit https://glo-foundation.com/glo-innov8/ and fill the form, to STEM their way to N5,000,000.
Adron Homes and Properties Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading real estate companies, has reaffirmed its commitment to cultural preservation and community development by officially supporting the 2025 Olojo Festival themed “Tourism for Inclusive Growth with Cultural Rebirth.”
In a press conference held at the Palace of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, the firm highlighted the festival’s enduring significance as a symbol of Yoruba heritage and a catalyst for economic and social development.
Representing the Chairman/CEO, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, the Managing Director of Adron Group, Mrs. Adenike Ajobo, described the Olojo Festival as “more than a cultural gathering, a living heritage that connects the Yoruba civilization to the global stage, strengthening local economies, uniting people, and inspiring generational pride.”
She noted that Adron Group’s sponsorship aligns with its mission to build communities that honour tradition while creating sustainable opportunities.
“Tourism and housing share a common purpose which connects people, places, and possibilities. At Adron, we believe that true development must respect heritage while driving progress for future generations. Supporting Olojo Festival reflects our commitment to inclusive growth and cultural rebirth,” she stated.
The Olojo Festival, recognised as one of Africa’s foremost cultural events, continues to attract international attention while reinforcing Ile-Ife’s status as the cradle of Yoruba civilization. With the support of organisations like Adron Group, the festival is expected to further project Nigeria’s culture globally, boost tourism, and inspire unity across communities.
Adron Group extended prayers for the continued reign of His Imperial Majesty, Kabiyesi Ojaja II, and expressed optimism that the 2025 Olojo Festival would be peaceful, impactful, and a beacon of pride for Yorubaland, Osun State, and Nigeria at large.
