SO Nigeria to Implement Unified Champion School Programme 

Special Olympics Nigeria (SO Nigeria) has been recognised for its excellence in programme delivery among people with intellectual disabilities. 

As a result, the organization has been chosen as one of several Special Olympics programmes worldwide to implement the Special Olympics Unified Champion School (UCS) Programme.

The Special Olympics Unified Champion School programme is a transformative strategy that aims to activate youth, engage educators, and foster inclusive school communities. 

By uniting students with and without intellectual disabilities, the programme promotes meaningful social inclusion through three interconnected components: Special Olympics unified sports®, inclusive youth leadership, and whole school engagement. 

The UCS programme’s central focus is to unify all students, irrespective of their abilities, using sports and youth engagement as catalysts for promoting social inclusion and fostering positive attitudes and behavioural change.

Special Olympics Nigeria recently kicked off the implementation of the Unified Champion School programme with a training session for volunteer coaches held at the National Orthopaedic Special School in Igbobi, Lagos State. 

“We had several volunteers who participated in the training, where they were equipped with the principles and implementation techniques of the Unified Champion School initiative. 

“The training was facilitated by highly experienced internationally trained master trainers and staff of SO Nigeria. We had the opportunity of having some of the African Regional Management team in attendance. The implementation of the programme in special schools across Lagos State has already commenced,” observed Special Olympic Nigeria in a statement.

The Unified Champion School programme, officially launched in January 2023, will run until July 2024. It will be implemented in at least 20 special and inclusive schools across Nigeria, and we hope to reach two thousand (2000) people with and without intellectual disabilities. The programme will specifically focus on the southwest states of Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja in the north central region of Nigeria.