About Us

The Zainab Saleh Foundation is a non-profit and non-political organization committed to empowering individuals and communities through sports, education, and personal development. The Foundation was established to help people achieve their potential, strengthen community values, and foster discipline, confidence, and leadership, principles that lie at the heart of its mission.

The Foundation believes that sports are a powerful tool for social change, personal growth and community development. Through its diverse programmes and initiatives, Zainab Saleh Foundation supports individuals and groups in unlocking opportunities that lead to a healthier, more confident and empowered society.

Our Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the Foundation include:

Helping individuals and communities achieve and benefit from sporting activities such as karate and other sports.
Educating and developing young people and communities through sport.
Developing, improving, and promoting karate and other sports by organizing sporting events, seminars, championships, and festivals that bring recognition to Nigeria.
Inspiring, supporting, and promoting value-driven sport across the country to enhance the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth of individuals.
Promoting personal development, health, and opportunities through sport participation.
Staging fundraising events and tournaments to support social and community causes.
Developing the skills of both male and female karate practitioners, athletes, coaches, and referees through interaction, training, and international exposure.
Receiving donations and funding from agencies and organizations with similar goals.
Creating and organizing forums for charity, care, and support for sportsmen and women across the country.
Enhancing the culture of corporate social responsibility by encouraging organizations to sponsor community sporting activities organized by the Foundation.

Among the Foundation’s many initiatives, one of its most celebrated is the Zainab Saleh International Female Open Karate Championship (ZSIFOKC), a pioneering event dedicated to promoting and supporting the participation of women and girls in karate across Nigeria and Africa.

Founded with the vision to raise the technical standards of Nigerian karate, the championship provides a platform where female athletes can train, compete, and develop their skills in a supportive environment. Through consistent training camps, tournaments, and mentorship, the programme continues to empower women and girls, inspiring confidence, discipline, and sportsmanship.

Now in its 11th year, the championship has become a symbol of progress and excellence for women in karate—encouraging participation, unity, and empowerment through sport.

Our Commitment

The Zainab Saleh Foundation remains steadfast in its mission to foster empowerment, inclusion, and excellence through education, sports, and social development. By nurturing talent, building capacity, and promoting positive values, the Foundation continues to contribute meaningfully to the growth of individuals and the advancement of society.

Beyond competition, the Foundation is committed to empowering women through discipline, confidence, and sportsmanship—values that lie at the heart of karate. Through consistent training camps, tournaments, and educational initiatives, we aim to inspire the next generation of female athletes and leaders in martial arts.

Our Founder’s Message

One of our desires has always been to improve on the technical standards of Nigerian Karate. Therefore, it was decided, as Technical Director of the Lagos State Karate Association ten years ago, that one of our programmes should be an exclusively female event, also open to female practitioners in the West African Sub-region and Africa, in order to encourage them to come out en masse.

This decision was also taken because it was realised that there have been no karate events in Nigeria that focus only on women. It is believed that if an event is created just for them, the
response and turnout will be unprecedented, and they will work hard to develop their technical skills.

The other, quite importantly, was to also create awareness and encourage women to learn self-defence, primarily because of the increased spate of rape and domestic violence witnessed in Nigeria and the world at large. Since the commencement of this event, each year it runs, the patronage has increased, and vast improvements have been observed. We continue to observe the passion and commitment with which our female athletes have persevered in order to better improve their skills. Not only have we witnessed this improvement from our female athletes, but from our coaches and referees as well. Kudos to you all!

Nothing gives me greater joy than to see what we have been able to achieve over the years. It has not been a singular effort. We look forward to receiving each and every one of you in November!

Hajiya Zainab Saleh
Founder, The Zainab Saleh Foundation; Board Member, Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN); Vice Chairperson, Lagos State Karate Association (LSKA) Judge; World Karate Federation (WKF) Referee; African Karate Federation (UFAK) Referee.