President of the Open Doors Youth Empowerment Initiative, a youth based non-governmental organization in Surulere, Lagos, Barrister Ronke Omolora Koku has described her recent nomination for 2026 AIWF Hall of Fame Award in the United States as a great honour noting that it will spur her to do more for pro wrestlers and the less privileged members of the society.
Barrister Koku will be attending the 34th Pro Wrestling Championship Anniversary and AIWF Induction Ceremony as one of the African nominees to be inducted into the AIWF Hall of Fame 2026.
The 34th AIWF Anniversary championship will hold from Friday 20th March 2026 to Sunday 22nd March 2026 at Mt. Airy, North Carolina, USA and the Nigerian team consists of Rev. Samuel Ikpea, Olusesan Olukoya and Barr. Ronke Omolara Koku who are driving the development of the sports continentally.
Koku would be honoured with Hall of Fame induction and public recognition for helping drive youth sport’s development on the continent as a prominent figure in African sports and also using her NGO empower young people, including the physically challenged in areas like skills development, education, sports, and entrepreneurship.
She will also be honoured for using her NGO to promote inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility in sports and other areas of life as well as fostering a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership among young people.
According to the legal luminary who is also noted for using her organization to support young entrepreneurs, preparing youths for job placements and career opportunities as well as providing training and workshops in areas like vocational skills, digital literacy, and life skills, the upcoming award came to her as a surprise and for it to come from United States shows that people appreciate what she’s doing with her Non-Governmental Organization.
Open Doors Youth Empowerment Initiative with a partnership focused on youth development and talent promotion, provided financial and educational support for Pro Wrestling Africa team for a pro wrestling training programs in West Africa. In March 2024, the Open Doors Youth Empowerment Initiative provided educational materials and financial support for a PWA training program that instructed over 10 Nigerian athletes and officials to Togo and Benin Republic respectively.
” I’m so overwhelmed by this honour because I never knew people are taking note of what we’re doing. And for this award to come all the way from the United States is an indication that we have gotten global recognition and it will spur me to do more for humanity and mankind”, she stressed.
Koku while describing the forthcoming award as the best amongst the numerous awards she has received promised that her organization will continue to improve on their main objectives of community engagement and leadership, encouraging youths, including those with physical challenges, to participate in community service and volunteer work.
“We shall also continue our leadership roles and skills development through workshops, camps and community projects, organize sports events and programs that cater for the physically challenged youths, provide training and equipment for sports like wheelchair, para-athletics, or adaptive sports.
” Apart from this, we will continue to encourage participation and competition among youths with physical challenges, ensure all programs and activities are accessible to youths with physical challenges, promote awareness and advocacy for inclusivity and disability rights as well continue to collaborate with organizations that support physically challenged individuals”, she concluded.