History Of Taekwondo in Nigeria

The introduction of Taekwondo in Nigeria began in the year 1975 by Aikpa Aime from Cote D’ Ivoire, a French-speaking country in the West African Coast. Aikpa was a formal student of Grandmaster Kim Yong Tae who is Korea’s pioneer Taekwondo coach in Africa as of 1967.

He opened a school for Jidokwan that same year which was successfully run by three of his black belts named Dominic Bassey, Emmanuel Ikpeme and Kofi Anani. In the year 1976 three American pioneers named Messrs Don Lee, Jerry Parker and Robert Beudon visited Nigeria in different measures introducing the Moo Dukkwan style in Western and Northern Nigeria.

The Moo Duk Kwan School was officially spearheaded by George Ashiru before he later moved to Jidokwan. The Chung Do Kwan School which was also established in Western Nigeria with Mr. Deola Kumpayi as the pioneer.

In 1981 Nigerian taekwondo Association was born.

The foreign experts Gm Moo Cheon Kim and Gm Park were brought to train the Nigeria Army in the year 1983 and other instructors that came to visit came.

In 1984 the taekwondo community survived an internal political crisis and promised to remain one and this led to the government officially recognizing taekwondo as a national sport. By 1985 Taekwondo got featured at the National festival held in Kwara state as a demo sport.

With the effort of Gm Moo Cheon Kim and other instructors the Nigeria taekwondo black belt college (NTBBC) was formed in 1986 and in the same year Taekwondo Association of Nigeria (TAN) was born with Gm Moo Cheon Kim as first National coach.

Taekwondo Association of Nigeria (TAN) became a member of world taekwondo federation (WTF now WT) in the year 1987 and following that membership taekwondo was inaugurated into the national sports commission.

In 2003 Taekwondo association of Nigeria (TAN) became Nigeria Taekwondo Federation (NTF)

In not less than ten years of establishment, the pioneers of the school and their junior colleagues toiled in a new dimension of establishing one of the most successful martial arts in Nigeria.  

Taekwondo gained acceptance as an Olympic sport when it appeared as a demonstration event in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.

 Nigeria got a silver medal at the 1992 summer Olympic games in Barcelona, the medal was won by Emmanuel Oghenejebo Peters for Nigeria in .

Taekwondo became a full medal sports competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. At the 2008 Summer Olympics Nigeria won a bronze medal with Chika Chukwumerije competing in the Men’s +80 Kg event.

The sport became a comprehensive art to be adopted by all military forces, schools, private organization and foreign embassies. The interest in Taekwondo sports has increased greatly in Nigeria not only as a martial art but as an international sport.

Nigeria has trained athletes who represent them at all international tournaments, African Championships, World Championships, grand prix series and the Olympic Games and have won laurels for them.

CURRENTLY THE Nigeria taekwondo federation is partnering with Kukkiwon, world taekwondo academy (WTA) and the world taekwondo masters union (WTMU) to strengthen the Art as well as the Masters in the Art.