Olympian Simidele Adeagbo Inspires the Next Generation of Girls in Nigeria

LAGOS, NIGERIA [June 8, 2018] – Olympian Simidele Adeagbo is paving the way for Africa’s youth, inspiring the next generation of girls in Nigeria through a signature leadership and sports master class. Adeagbo teamed up with Nigerian-run youth focused, non-profit organization Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI) to roll out the master class at the State Civil Service Senior Model School in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday, June 8th as an extension of YEDI’s SKILLZ Girl programme.

100 female students attended the SimiSleighs Leadership and Sports Master Class aimed to build leadership and life skills and encourage sports participation. The master class combined inspiration and enablement through tangible training to equip students to exert greater leadership. Students also participated in a Skeleton sports clinic with demonstrations, drills and activities centered around teamwork and the skills needed to be a champion. Through the master class, Adeagbo motivated students to dream big and create the future.

“The students at State Civil Service Senior Model School are the future leaders of Nigeria and I’m honored to have the opportunity to share this unique experience with them. Sport is a powerful tool to create change and I hope that I’ve empowered the girls and cultivated future leaders in the classroom and community,” said Adeagbo.

“YEDI is excited to have teamed up with Olympian Simidele Adeagbo on this project specifically designed for girls,” said YEDI’s Executive Director Oje Iyagba. “This collaboration demonstrates our passion for using sports to help girls build interpersonal relationships, encourage positive self- images and engender leadership skills.”

Adeagbo, also a business leader at Nike Inc., conceptualized the master class through her first-hand experience of the power of sport as a unifying and transformative force to inspire youth, build communities and create social change. Through the signature master class, she aims to unlock the power and potential of Africa’s youth. Her model is grounded in providing girls with access to quality development programs and positive role models to inspire them. Adeagbo plans on scaling and amplifying the effect through partnerships with grassroots organizations that understand the challenges in their communities and are driving innovative solutions to make an impact in girls’ lives.