By Adewole Kehinde
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Nigeria Pitch Awards, a prestigious platform for recognising hard work, dedication, and excellence among Nigerian football players, sports officials, and stakeholders, have not only maintained the faith in rewarding the deserving but have also maintained their credibility in conducting squeaky clean awards ceremonies.
The Nigeria Pitch Awards are a distinguished forum that honours the most deserving Nigerian football players, sports officials, and stakeholders for their dedication, hard work, and excellence. Over the years, the awards have maintained their legitimacy.
The objective of the Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony has been to honour those who have made noteworthy contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria and to celebrate those whose commitment and hard work have had a significant impact on the country’s sporting landscape since the inaugural event was held on November 16, 2013, at the Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel Calabar, Cross River State.
Now in its 11th edition, the city of Akwa Ibom will play host to the awarding body and nominees on 25th March at the Four Points by Sheraton, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, where the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Gusau, will lead dignitaries to the award.
Speaking on Thursday, 20th February 2025 at the BON Hotel Ikeja, the Founder of Lenders Consult International (formerly Matchmakers Consult International) and Convener of The Pitch Awards, Mr Shina Phillips, said that the award process has been designed in such a way that it will not only be transparent but also sustainable. This is why the award process transcends organisers’ personal influence while putting the responsibility of deciding winners in the hands of professional journalists with many years of experience, knowledge and expertise in reporting and analysing football.
According to Mr Shina Phillips, the award was built on Integrity, Credibility and Transparency, three key words that have stood the awards out.
Awards are typically organised to recognise commitment, loyalty, excellence, and contributions to the industry. Furthermore, awards inspire both nominees and winners to maintain consistency and strive for higher levels of dedication. You would agree that despite the successes our footballers and national teams have achieved within the continental and global football community, there remains potential for them to excel further and set new records. To achieve this, we all have a role to play. Over the past decade, the Nigeria Pitch Awards has consistently demonstrated confidence in the abilities of Nigerian players and stakeholders.
At the 10th edition, the organisers honoured the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, with the Special Achievement in Sports Award for his relentless commitment to the development of sports within the Nigeria Police Force and how his pursuit of sporting excellence has significantly benefitted not only the Force but also the national sports arena.
He was commended for pioneering the introduction of football as an event in the finals of the 14th BIPOGA in Ibadan in February 2024. The success of these games culminated in the outstanding performance of Nigeria Police athletes at the 13th All African Games in Accra, Ghana, from March 8th to 26th, 2024, where 17 athletes from the Nigeria Police won medals for the country.
In addition to these achievements, IGP Egbetokun has set up plans to host the West African Police Games in 2025, as part of his zeal to foster sportsmanship and unity within the Police across the West African region to enhance collaboration and camaraderie.
The 11th edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards takes place in March 2025. the president of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Phillips, has emphasised the importance of the awards in recognising excellence in Nigerian football.
He also expressed gratitude to the Nigeria Football Federation and sports journalists for their continued support of the awards since 2012.
Adewole Kehinde writes from Abuja. 08166240846. kennyadewole@gmail.com. @kennyadewole
