Beyond The Table: My Journey To Academic Excellence – Para Table Tennis Star

In a world where even the simplest path to education can be filled with hurdles, Bilikis Abolore Abdulkadir’s journey reads like a testament to the power of resilience and grit. An award-winning para table tennis athlete, disability rights advocate, and now a proud graduate of Accounting from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Abolore’s eight-year academic struggle is not just a personal victory,  it is an inspiring narrative of triumph against all odds.

Born into modest beginnings and physically challenged before her first birthday, Abolore refused to be defined or defeated by her circumstances. Her story weaves through hospital visits, educational setbacks, financial hardship, and societal stigma, but ends with medals, degrees, and a legacy of leadership in sports and disability advocacy.

The story of Mrs. Bilikis Abolore Abdulkadir exemplifies a life-long struggle for academic glory, marked by extreme difficulties and life challenges, but ultimately conquered through self-determination, perseverance, and strong will.

Born on  May 15, 1984 as the fifth child in the family of Mallam Zakariyah Soliu and Alhaja Fatimoh Zakariyah of Osogun Compound, Okelele, Ilorin, Abolore attended Shamsudeen LGEA Primary School from 1992 to 1997, where she obtained her primary school leaving certificate. She then attended Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, Ilorin, from 1999 to 2004.

She also attended the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) from 2015 to 2023, where she obtained a B.Sc. degree in Accounting.

Abolore’s passion for academic excellence in her early life nearly became a mirage due to her physical disability and the financial constraints faced by her parents.

She said, “according to my mother, while I was growing up, precisely at the age of seven months, I fell sick and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. She said that the health personnel who attended to me injected me directly into a vein, and that was how the struggle began for my parents. In fact, I attended a physiotherapy facility for seven years before I started walking with crutches.”

According to her account of the above circumstances, it became very difficult for the Para zable tennis Star,  Bilikis to pursue any form of educational attainment.

Abolore disclosed that after struggling to obtain her primary school leaving certificate in 1997, her desire to further her education at the secondary level in her school of choice hit a brick wall.

She said she was denied admission in 1998 due to her physical disability and had to remain at home for an entire year.

Luck, however, smiled on her in 1999 when the same school that had earlier rejected her eventually offered her admission. This time, she presented a recommendation letter from the head of the Physiotherapy Department at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), leaving the school with no choice but to admit her.

“The most challenging part of my academic pursuit was during my time in higher institution. I was offered admission by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) to study Accounting in 2015,” she said.

This was an admission I embraced with open arms, in a bid to take my academic pursuit to a higher and more productive level. But due to financial difficulties and lack of support, I had to pause the programme for several years before finally graduating in 2023.

“My graduation represents a lifelong fulfilment in my academic career, in spite of the difficulties and challenges I faced early in life. I thank Almighty Allah for His favour,” Abolore said.

Beyond her academic achievement, Abolore is also a renowned sports personality and enthusiast who has excelled in numerous sporting competitions, winning laurels for Kwara State in para table tennis.

In August 2021, Abolore was appointed to the board of the Kwara State Sports Commission to represent Para-Sports (Persons with Disabilities in Sports).

“I actually started my sports career in 2003, and I have represented Kwara State in many competitions and National Sports Festivals, winning several laurels for the state,” she said.

Some of the medals won by Abolore include: KADA 2009 (2 bronze medals), Garden City 2011 (1 silver and 1 bronze), and Eko 2012 (2 bronze medals).

Abolore, who was formerly the Deputy Sports Director for the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), is now the Sports Director of the association. She also currently serves as the Coordinator of the Network of Women with Disabilities, the Kwara State Coordinator for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women with Disabilities Forum, and the Woman Leader of Ilorin East JONAPWD. She is a passionate advocate for women and children in the state.

In a bid to become self-sufficient, Abolore defied the odds and embraced hairstyling as a skill in 2010. She began making hair for people, and today, she is the proud owner of a hair salon in Ilorin, the state capital.

“Hairstyling is a skill I embraced right from my secondary school days, when I used to make different hairstyles for my friends and seniors. Some of them always advised me to go further and gain more knowledge in hairstyling because of my versatility and perfection in the craft. I give praise to Almighty Allah that today, that dream has become a reality,” Abolore said.