He came to teach swimming, now building Olympic team

Busayo Adegbulugbe, 33, a paraplegic man whose powerful upper body and muscled arms have long propelled his wheelchair, perched on the edge.

He stretched and steadied himself on the deck. Years of pushing his wheelchair would now offer him the strength required to propel him through the water. But strength would not be enough if he was not ready to take the plunge.

"Are you ready?" yelled Emeka Chuks-Nnadi, founder of Swim in 1 Day, from the pool.

"Action!"

Adegbulugbe obliged and plunged in. The water swallowed him briefly, then released him in a surge of motion. His arms sliced forward, powerful and precise, each stroke defying the paralysis that claimed his legs.

Powerful scenes like these unfold daily at Swim in 1 Day (SID) Africa, the Lagos organisation Chuks-Nnadi believes can combat what he calls a "drowning crisis" by teaching vital water survival skills to the most vulnerable, especially those with disabilities.  

Already, two of Chuks-Nnadi’s trainees, Femi Egbowon, 16, an amputee from Ondo State, and Segun Vidal, 18, a visually impaired swimmer from Lagos, are working towards Los Angeles 2028 under the SID Junior Paralympic Preparatory Swim Team.

In flood-prone Nigeria, where raging waters routinely displace thousands and destroy homes, knowing how to swim can mean the difference between life and death.

In the populous West African state, flooding has grown deadlier and more frequent over the years, with rising casualties and displacement.

In 2012, floods killed 363 people and displaced nearly 3.9 million, according to the National Emergency Management Agency. By 2018, around 2.3 million people were affected.

In 2020, more than 129,000 people were displaced and 68 killed, but in 2022, the worst floods in a decade affected 4.4 million people, displacing1.4 million and killing 600.

And in 2024, at least 1,231 lost their lives and more than 1.2 million were displaced. Unicef has repeatedly warned that worsening floods pose growing risks to children and communities.

In West and Central Africa, relentless floods in 2024 have swept through 14 countries, disrupting lives and displacing communities, with more than 4 million people impacted, according to World Relief.

On August 22, the government of Niger reported that flooding had claimed 217 lives, injured 200 people and left more than 350,000 homeless.

In neighbouring Cameroon, several floods have been recorded since August 19, with water levels reaching critical thresholds in the Logone et Chari and Mayo Danay divisions by the end of the month, according to OCHA.

In November last year, the United Nations warned at its COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan that climate-induced disasters will intensify, with vulnerable regions such as Africa facing the greatest risks as extreme weather patterns push communities further into crisis.  

Greenpeace said climate change is already making extreme weather events, like floods and cyclones, more frequent and deadly, particularly in regions with poor drainage systems and limited emergency infrastructure.

For Chuks-Nnadi, the urgency of water survival skills has never been higher, which is why he advocates for swimming awareness.  

“We are a campaign,” Chuks-Nnadi said. “We are not just a swimming charity. We are trying to prepare people for the floods that will come, and empower those who have been ignored, misunderstood and written off.”  

But funding remains a major challenge. Chuks-Nnadi, popularly known Swim Guru, has relied solely on his savings, with support from his siblings and especially his mother to keep Swim in 1 Day afloat.

Yet, the urgent need for funding to expand awareness in Africa and build swimming facilities continues to grow.  

HOW HE STARTED

Chuks-Nnadi’s journey home to launch Swim in 1 Day began on the shores of Lagos, but his vision started long before then.

A business consultant, climate activist and swimmer extraordinaire based in Barcelona, he had long felt a tug in his heart, a calling to return to Africa and use his skills to prepare the most vulnerable for the consequences of climate change, most of which, he says, are water-related.  

Chuks-Nnadi, passionate about swimming, cited a 2024 Unep study showing that more than 90 per cent of natural disasters are linked to water, making swimming a vital survival skill.

It started almost accidentally. In 2021, during a five-month holiday in Nigeria at the height of the Covid-19 lockdowns, Chuks-Nnadi spent his days swimming at sea. He would disappear for hours into the water, emerging to applause from children who had made a habit of waiting for him.

“One of them came to me and said, ‘Sir, can you teach me to swim so I can be like you?’ That touched my heart,” Chuks-Nnadi recalled. “I told him, ‘I won’t wait for you to grow up; I’ll teach you now so you can be even better than me.’”  

That decision sparked a movement.  

When beach authorities tried to stop him, claiming the children, who lived in tents with their parents, were “unwanted” near paying beachgoers, Chuks-Nnadi’s frustration boiled over.

He made the decision he had been putting off for years. He shut down his company in Barcelona and moved back to Nigeria to start the initiative that would become Swim in 1 Day.  

In 2022, he registered the campaign. By 2023, it was officially up and running.  

But calling it a swimming school would be selling it short. Chuks-Nnadi’s work sits at the intersection of climate adaptation, disability inclusion and social justice. He trains people with disabilities, like Adegbulugbe, to swim in open water and pools.

He teaches children from underserved communities the skills they will need when the next storm comes. And most importantly, he talks — a lot — about the myths and harmful beliefs that hold communities back.  

“In Africa, disability is still seen as a curse,” he said. “People think the child is being punished for the sins of their ancestors. These are innocent kids. They didn’t choose this life.”  

Discrimination against people with disabilities remains one of the biggest challenges. Many swimming facilities deny access to those with disabilities, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.

"People with disability don’t have a communicable disease," Chuks-Nnadi said, frustrated by the barriers that still exist.  

LIFESAVING MISSION

That’s why education is at the core of his work. Whether he’s giving talks to schoolchildren, organising community workshops or filming documentary material, Chuks-Nnadi is on a mission to shift mindsets.  

Real change in Africa comes through knowledge, not just donations or aid, he says, as knowledge will force people to take action.

His upcoming documentary, ‘Make or Break: Our Dark Dilemma’, aims to drive that point home.  

The film will explore how everyday choices, fuelled by ignorance or compassion, can make or destroy lives. It’s also a plea to Africans to question inherited beliefs.  

“Just because your ancestors passed down certain ideas doesn’t mean you have to follow them. You can reason it out. You can choose to do better,” he said.

“Because one day, any of us could be disabled. Wouldn’t you want to be treated with dignity?”

Despite the heavy themes, there’s joy in the water. Children giggle as they paddle for the first time. Adults emerge beaming from a pool, surprised at how quickly they’ve learned.  

“A lot of children living with intellectual disability aren’t very social, but when you put them in water, you see them changing and becoming very social,” Chuks-Nnadi said, highlighting the transformative impact of swimming.  

His Swim in 1 Day campaign stems from Nnadi’s belief that he can teach almost anyone to swim in a day, no matter their age, trauma or physical ability.  

“My magic doesn’t extend to people who don’t want to learn,” he laughed. “But if you show up willing, I promise it will happen.”  

And as floods become more common in Nigeria, Chuks-Nnadi’s work is turning into a lifesaving mission. Not only are people learning to swim but also learning to believe in themselves, to reject shame and to demand a seat at the table.  

Back at the pool, Adegbulugbe finished his lap. He grinned, breathless. Nnadi’s nod was approving.