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Ilaboya Explains The Essence Of Sportsville Special Recognition Awards –

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Ilaboya Explains The Essence Of Sportsville Special Recognition Awards -

With the next edition fast approaching, the brain behind the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards, Frank Ilaboya  has thrown light to the reasons behind the event.

 

We received two pleasant surprise messages yesterday from two most respected individuals in sports journalism and sports marketing.

 

“Before I share their messages, I want to say that members of the Organising Committee and I are deeply humbled by these messages which touched on the credibility of Sportsville Special Recognition Awards.

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“Mr Jenkins Alumona and Taye Ige, MD/CEO of Flykite Productions and President/CEO of HotSports Group respectfully, spoke about the credibility of the annual awards on Friday February 23rd.

 

Alumona, a nominee in the Creative & Innovation Category

 

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in this year’s awards started the credibility story immediately after reading the Daily Countdown.

 

He said: “The need for inducements is primarily why I have refused many awards in the past. I am so happy that this award is one devoid of pressures of any type and it is completely the result of the efforts of I and my team to participate in the progress of Nigerian football using the vehicle of the Naija Super 8. Sportsville’s insistence on walking the awards tuff differently is certainly appreciated.”

 

We were still savouring the euphoria of that message before another came from Mr Taye Ige, commending the organisers for their credibility.

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“I want to specially commend the brains behind the Sportsville Awards for the credibility of the programme.

“This is not the kind of awards where the organisers will be soliciting for some kind of patronage or any type of hidden payments.

 

“I was privileged to be a recipient of one of the awards a few years ago and I must confess that I was wowed with the high level of honesty, transparency and professionalism of the organisers.

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“I have also followed the plans and announcements for this year’s edition and am looking forward to being a part of it,” he added.

 

Only yesterday, a recipient in the 2022 edition, Olumide Oyedeji, said as much that his award had no monetary attachment, it will remain the most credible sports award.

 

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For me and my team, nothing to add than reiterate our vision to build an enduring credible award devoid of monetary attachment.

Join us on Friday, March 1st, 2024 at the Blessing Hall of the EKO CLUB to celebrate the best of the best.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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Fashola Calls for Sports-Driven Economic Model to Tackle Youth Unemployment

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Guest Lecturer at Mumini Alao's book launch, Babatunde Raji Fashola

By KUNLE SOLAJA.
Former Lagos State Governor and ex-Minister of Works, Babatunde Raji Fashola, has urged Nigeria to adopt sports as a central pillar of national economic development, describing it as an untapped solution to the country’s youth unemployment crisis.

Speaking at the public presentation of sports journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography at the University of Lagos, Fashola said Nigeria’s policymakers have “ignored a solution hiding in plain sight” by failing to fully develop sports as a business.

“Sports is a profession that employs mainly young people from their teenage years to around 40.

“When I reflect on the Nigerian problem of youth employment, I tell myself that it persists perhaps because we have been ignoring the solution,” he stated.

Fashola cited global examples of sports as a major economic driver, including the English Premier League’s £3.36 billion GDP contribution to the UK economy in 2015, and Saudi Arabia’s recent sports investments that have added 1% to its GDP.

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He recommended integrating sports into national development plans, revamping school curricula to nurture talent from an early age, developing modern sports infrastructure, and ensuring safety, security, and good governance in sports administration.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

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Fashola, Obasa, Dikko Others Confirm attendance at Mumini Alao’s book launch

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Top dignitaries expected at the public presentation of frontline journalist Mumini Alao’s autobiography have been confirming their attendance at the event, which will hold at the Tayo Aderinokun Lecture Theatre, University of Lagos, on Sunday, 10th August 2025, at 1:00 pm.

Top of the bill is former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola, who will deliver a lecture on the topic, ‘Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria As a Catalyst for Sports Development.’ Fashola met Alao at the final of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup table tennis tournament at the Teslim Balogun stadium on Tuesday, 5th August and reassured the author of his preparedness for the lecture.

Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Mudashiru Obasa, also noted his commitment to the event in a message sent to the author, who is the speaker’s constituent in the Agege area of Lagos State, where he (Alao) grew up.

Obasa will be the chief presenter of the autobiography. He will be supported by Honourable Kabiru Amadu, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Sports.

Also confirming his attendance is the Chairman of the occasion, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC). Dikko will lead other top sports officials from the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to listen to Fashola’s postulation on Nigerian football.

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Rounding off the list of principal guests expected at the public lecture and book presentation is former sports minister Senator John Owan Enoh who is currently the Minister of State for Industry. Enoh wrote a foreword in the book alongside former Super Eagles captain, Nwankwo Kanu.

Other guests expected at the event are federal and states sports associations officials, Nigerian former Olympians and former Super Eagles players, journalists, family, friends, associates and fans of the book writer.

Dr. Mumini Alao, is an accomplished Nigerian sports journalist, author and media entrepreneur. He rose to the position of group managing director of Complete Communications Limited, publishers of widely-read popular journals, Complete Football magazine and Complete Sports newspapers. His last published book was “The Making of Nigeria’s Dream Team: Football Gold Medal Winners At Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games.”

Alao’s latest work, his autobiography, is a no-holds-barred narration of his professional and private lives spanning 60 years. Dr. Bolu John Folayan of the Department of Mass Communication, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro will be the book reviewer, while SuperSports presenter, Mozez Praiz, will be the master of ceremony.

The event will be streamed live to a global audience on the YouTube channel of Complete Sports.

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Fashola set to Deliver Keynote Address at Launch of Mumini Alao’s Autobiography

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Babatunde Fashola, sports enthusiast, Fashola will speak on the topic: “Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development

All is set for the public presentation of the autobiography of renowned Nigerian sports journalist, Dr. Mumini Alao, with former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), confirmed as the keynote speaker at the high-profile event.

Dr. Alao, a respected figure in Nigerian sports media and former Group Managing Director of Complete Communications Ltd., announced the development following a meeting with Fashola on Tuesday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium during the finals of the ITTF Africa Youth Cup.

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Everyone anxiously awaits the launch of the autobiography. It is about one of Nigeria’s best sports journalists. This author has contributed appreciably to Nigeria’s sports literature.

The former governor, who was at the venue to present trophies at the continental table tennis event, confirmed his readiness to speak at the book launch scheduled for Sunday, August 10, at the University of Lagos.

According to Dr. Alao, Fashola will speak on the topic: Rethinking the Current Football Business Model in Nigeria as a Catalyst for Sports Development.”

“I’m sure this topic will be of interest to all of us stakeholders in Nigerian football,” Dr. Alao remarked, while inviting members of the public and sports community to grace the event.

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The book, chronicling Alao’s decades-long career in sports journalism, promises to be a compelling reflection on the evolution of Nigerian sports media, landmark events, and the personalities that have shaped the industry.

The launch is expected to attract a broad audience of media professionals, football administrators, athletes, and policymakers.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

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