From Classroom to Policy: Onike King Named Among Sierra Leone’s Influential Women

By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay

232news –

Educationist and Proprietress of Excel Daycare, Nursery and Academy, Mrs Onike King, has been recognised among the top ten of the 50 Most Influential Sierra Leonean Women Awards, in recognition of her contribution to education, early childhood development, institutional leadership and community service.

Mrs King was honoured at a ceremony held on August 22, 2026, at the Bintumani Auditorium in Freetown.

The awards were organised by a committee working with 29 women- and youth-focused advocacy organisations and chaired by Edmond Alim B. Fornah, Executive Director of the Kids Advocacy Network.

The initiative, which was established by Sierra Leonean youth and women-led organisations, seeks to celebrate women making significant contributions to national and community development.

Mrs King’s inclusion among the top ten highlights a career that has combined educational leadership, policy engagement, child development advocacy, professional service and international relations.

Championing quality education

For several years, Mrs King has been a prominent voice in Sierra Leone’s education sector, particularly in early childhood education and the private-school sector.

Through her leadership of Excel Daycare, Nursery and Academy, she has promoted an approach to education that combines academic development with character formation, discipline, pastoral care and individual attention.

Her commitment to education can be traced to her childhood. Born to Mr and Mrs Ekundayo Gilpin as the fourth of six children, Mrs King began her primary education at St Anne’s Primary School, where her mother was Headteacher.

She later attended St Joseph’s Convent and obtained her teaching qualification from Milton Margai Teachers College.

Seeking to broaden her professional knowledge, she pursued further studies in the United Kingdom, including academic engagements at the University of Leeds and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Those experiences helped shape her wider perspective on education and development and strengthened her contribution to Sierra Leone’s education sector.

From school leadership to national policy

Mrs King’s influence extends beyond the school she leads.

She has served and consulted as a member of the Technical Working Group of the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, contributing to education-sector planning, particularly in the area of early childhood education.

Her involvement has allowed her to bring the practical experiences of schools, teachers, parents and children into national-level policy discussions.

She has consistently advocated the importance of early childhood education, arguing through her professional work that the formative years of a child’s life provide the foundation for future intellectual, emotional, moral and social development.

Leadership in the private education sector
Mrs King also holds leadership positions within several professional and faith-based organisations.

She serves as Secretary-General of the National Union of Private Schools, where she contributes to the representation and development of private educational institutions.

In that capacity, she has been involved in discussions concerning educational standards, institutional development, professional practice and the role of private schools in national education.

She is also Treasurer of the Christian Schools Association, supporting the development and governance of Christian educational institutions.

Her commitment to early childhood development is further demonstrated through her membership of the Thrive Early Childhood Development Steering Committee.

She also serves as Chief Executive Officer of the GEED Foundation, through which she supports broader educational, social and community-development initiatives.

Taking Sierra Leone’s education message abroad

Mrs King’s work has also taken her beyond Sierra Leone.

She has participated in professional engagements and delivered lectures in the United Kingdom, United States, China, Ghana and Nigeria, where she has shared her experience in education, institutional leadership, early childhood development and teacher empowerment.

In Lagos, Nigeria, she served on the judging panel of the Teach and Win Competition, a reality television programme established to recognise outstanding teachers.

Her international engagements have also extended into diplomacy and people-to-people relations. She serves as Chairperson of the Sierra Leone–China Friendship Association, promoting friendship, cultural understanding and cooperation between Sierra Leone and China.

Faith at the centre of her leadership

While Mrs King’s professional career has been marked by educational and institutional achievements, she identifies her Christian faith as the foundation of her life and leadership.

She is actively involved in the Good News Prayer Group and maintains that her faith in Jesus Christ has been central to her journey.

Her approach to leadership, she says, is rooted in service, responsibility and a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

She is married to Mr Arnold King, with whom she has two sons, Kenneth and Kadel.

Recognition of sustained service

Mrs King’s recognition among the top ten of the 50 Most Influential Sierra Leonean Women Awards adds to a career built around education, leadership and service.

Her journey from the classroom to institutional leadership, national education policy discussions and international engagements reflects the expanding role of women in shaping Sierra Leone’s development.

For Mrs King, education remains at the heart of that mission.

Through Excel Daycare, Nursery and Academy, her professional associations, early childhood advocacy and community engagements, she continues to champion an education system that she believes can help build stronger individuals, families and, ultimately, a stronger Sierra Leone.

Her latest recognition therefore represents not only an honour for an individual educationist, but also an acknowledgement of the wider impact of women who continue to contribute to Sierra Leone’s social and national development.