Mrs. Sabina Chikere – The engine behind Edo sports’ new golden run honoured

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

 

 

When the story of Edo State’s modern sports revival is told, one name will stand tall and that is Mrs. Sabina Ekhaisomi Chikere.

A former Permanent Secretary in the Edo State Sports Commission and now a key member of the Local Organising Committee for the African School Games 2027, Chikere continues to shape the future of sports with quiet authority and relentless drive.

That impact has now earned her national recognition.

Chikere, the current Executive Director of the Edo State Sports Commission was recently honoured with the prestigious Wakawaka Sports Award, a powerful statement that the work being done behind the scenes in Edo is being seen, felt, and celebrated. 

It is a fitting way to open the year with flowers for a woman who has consistently delivered results.

Under her watch, Edo sports has grown in structure, visibility, and ambition. From grassroots development to elite performance, Chikere’s leadership has been defined by planning, discipline, and belief in people.

Speaking after receiving the award, she deflected personal glory, instead pointing to the confidence placed in her by the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, His Excellency Comrade Philip Shaibu. 

According to her, Shaibu identified her potential early and entrusted her with major responsibilities, a move she credits as pivotal to her success and the strides recorded in Edo sports.

But awards don’t come from trust alone. They come from execution. From long hours. From building systems that work.

As Nigeria prepares for even bigger continental responsibilities ahead, including the African School Games 2027, Sabina Chikere’s fingerprints are firmly on the wheel, steering, shaping, and pushing the game forward.

This honour is not just a celebration of a moment.

It is recognition of impact, vision, and sustained excellence.

And for Edo sports, Mrs. Sabina Chikere said, “the run is far from over.”