Youth Empowerment Foundation Strengthens Girl Child with Resilience, Discipline Through Taekwondo
1st pic: Participants executing a match at the competition.
2nd piç: Osita John Egwin, Technical Head and Head Coach, Taekwondo, University of Ibadan (extremely left) and Mrs Akin-JIMOH (extreme left) with some awardees at the competition.
The Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF), a Nigerian non-profit, has hosted the 5th Female Taekwondo Empowerment Championship in commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child.
The championship, held on Saturday, 10th October 2026 at the Basketball Main Pavilion, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, drew about 105 athletes, coaches and chaperones from across the federation, including Enugu, Rivers, Bayelsa, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara and the FCT, as well as students from University of Ibadan, UNILAG, LAUTECH and FUNAAB.
Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary of YEF, Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, said the Foundation, founded in 1995 by sisters Iwasade and Iwalola, is now 31 years old and has reached over 1,000 girls through the competition.
According to her, the championship is aimed at celebrating the girl child as leaders with capacity, while using taekwondo to build self-esteem, self-confidence, resilience and mental alertness.
“We feel the girl child has moved from a situation where we feel they need help to a situation where they are actually leaders already. Taekwondo enhances their self-esteem, confidence and resilience and they do so well in their studies,” she said.
She added that the initiative also creates awareness on gender-based violence, noting that girls trained in martial arts are less likely to become victims of abuse.
“Martial arts makes you mentally alert, you spot danger faster. It teaches non-conflict approach, discipline and respect. Most people who do martial arts are actually very peaceful people because they know they are stronger and more skilled,” she explained.
Akin-Jimoh disclosed that YEF runs grassroots training in public schools in Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and the FCT in partnership with the Nigerian Taekwondo Federation, and that some beneficiaries have now become coaches training younger girls.
She said the competition is in three categories – Kiddies, Cadet/Junior (ages 4-16) and Senior/Olympic (17-25) – with gold medallists receiving N100,000, silver N70,000 and bronze N50,000, while younger winners receive scholastic materials like school bags and exercise books.
While previous editions cost the Foundation between N7 million and N12 million, she said this year’s edition was supported by philanthropic Nigerians who donated food, drinks and kits, and by the Lagos State Government which provided mats, officials and venue support.
Also speaking, Osita John Egwin, Technical Head and Head Coach, Taekwondo, University of Ibadan, who coordinated the event, said the turnout and standard were impressive, describing taekwondo as a survival skill and a way of life that arms the girl child for the future.
He noted that the grassroots championship continues to unearth talents, some of whom have competed for over five years and are now national and aspiring national athletes.
On his part, Akin Jimoh of Development Communications Network said the partnership with YEF aligns with addressing health, security and rights challenges facing the girl child, stressing that “women are not the weaker sex.”
High Grandmaster Sunday Igbinedion, pioneer founder of Nigeria Police Taekwondo and President of the Nigerian Chung-Do-Kwan Taekwondo Pioneers Foundation (NCTF ’72), who graced the occasion alongside Grandmaster Ajayi Charles, decried the falling standard of taekwondo due to poor funding compared to football, but commended YEF for sustaining female participation.
He disclosed that his foundation is working to introduce taekwondo to the deaf community.
The 2026 championship was hosted by YEF in partnership with the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Lagos State Taekwondo Association, Development Communications (DevComs) Network, Fitness Konnections Health Club and The KB KLUB, College of Medicine, University of Lagos (CMUL).
