Most recently, she was part of Nigeria’s sprint and relay coaching team at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Endurance Ojokolo, one of Nigeria’s most respected former sprinters and a prominent figure in the country’s coaching circuit, is reportedly set to take up a role in the Middle East, adding to the steady migration of Nigerian athletics talent abroad.
Sources within the athletics community indicate that the former African champion has secured an opportunity in Saudi Arabia.
If confirmed, she would join a number of Nigerian coaches who have built careers in the Gulf region, including Enefiok Odo-Obong and Michael Lati Obisesan, who has reportedly worked in the Kingdom for over a decade.
Ojokolo did not directly confirm the development when contacted but stopped short of denying it. However, those familiar with the situation say she is unlikely to continue her current involvement with Nigerian athletes for the foreseeable future.
Her reported exit comes at a time when Nigeria’s athletics ecosystem is grappling with the quiet departure of both athletes and coaches seeking improved welfare, better infrastructure, and financial security abroad.
As an athlete, Ojokolo enjoyed a distinguished career. She is a two-time African champion and claimed silver at the 2003 African Games in a dramatic finish against fellow Nigerian sprint legend Mary Onyali.
She represented Nigeria at the Olympic Games and competed at two World Championships, finishing among the top eight in the world during her peak years.
After retiring from active competition, she transitioned into coaching, becoming one of the few female athletes of her generation to remain deeply involved in the technical side of the sport. She developed a reputation for grassroots work and sprint development, mentoring young talents including Itseoritse Itsekiri.
Most recently, she was part of Nigeria’s sprint and relay coaching team at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.
Her move mirrors a wider trend. Just last week, sprinter Favour Ashe confirmed that he had joined Qatar, where several Nigerian athletes are already based.
For many within the athletics community, these moves are less about disloyalty and more about opportunity. Countries in the Middle East have invested heavily in sports development, offering competitive salaries, structured programmes and long-term stability.
If Ojokolo’s relocation is finalised, it will represent not just a personal career shift but another chapter in the ongoing conversation about talent retention in Nigerian athletics.
