Team Naija/Red Sapphire Flags-Off NOC-RIO 2016 Olympics Telethon Raffle Draw

The collaboration of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) with Red Sapphire Nigeria Limited (RSNL) - (interfacing as Team Naija) to plan and implement an Exclusive Raffle Draw as one of the core activities to attract support from the generality of Nigerians for Team Nigeria at the RIO 2016 Olympics has been formally flagged off. The collaboration has the tacit approval of the Mr. Adulphous Ekpe-led-National Lottery Commission.

In a statement signed on behalf of Team Naija, Mr. Patrick Okon, the Director of Media and Press Affairs, posited that the ‘30-day NOC - RIO 2016 Olympics Telethon TV Raffle is one of the patriotic strategies put in place by the NOC/RSNL collabo to ensure that Nigeria’s participation at the Rio Olympics is not left to the government alone even as the raffle template from a commercial perspective, is a win-win situation that will help the NOC grow funds to support the activities of the Olympic Movement in Nigeria as well as provide opportunities for contestants to win up to N10m’’.

The “Win up to N10m…'' promo jingle for the NOC - RIO 2016 Olympics Telethon TV Raffle which has started running on AIT, Ray Power and several online media platforms was crafted with the duo of Ime Bishop Umoh (aka Okon Lagos) and Dorathy Njemanze - two of Nolywood's foremost artistes, playing lead roles.

Recently the President of National Olympic Committee President, Engr. Habu Gumel, while unveiling the campaign theme tagged 'We believe. We can' at the launch of the project had declared that 'We must embrace this opportunity and make our country proud. This is a private sector initiative; and a laudable one for us all, because we have the opportunity to truly tell the world that we are good people with a rich and patriotic tradition.”

Gumel also emphasized that one of the strategies to make Rio 2016 a memorable participation for Team Nigeria is the NOC - RIO 2016 Olympics Telethon TV Raffle.

Lending her voice to the project, Nigeria’s former Olympic gold Medalist, Chief (Mrs.) Mary Onyali-Obagbemi, who also spoke at the ceremony called on Nigerians to support the Rio Olympics, stressing that “Team Nigeria need every support now more than ever. I have to do my best to team up to support the NOC and every other partner that may be participating in this programme. If our athletes are not going to the Olympics there is no reason for any of us to be there”.

Interested participants who are fired by the patriotic zeal to stand up for Team Nigeria are required to either Text RIO to 35818 at a cost of N100/sms or visit www.teamnaija.com.

Meanwhile, according to Mr. Ono K. Akpe, the CEO of Team Naija, the exclusive partnership which equally gives Red Sapphire, a full-service Event Management, Public Relations and Media Consultancy Company, the right to relay the Olympic Games via KairoswebTV and the TeamNaija website, Social media profiles and other selected media platforms, is a call to duty to all Nigerians, home and abroad, to key in massively behind our athletes and support Team Nigeria as they prepare and eventually participate at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio Brazil’.