The highlight of the night was the honour bestowed on Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, who received the Sportsville Sports Transformative Impact Award in recognition of his sweeping reforms and contributions to the development of sports in Nigeria.

An elated Dikko, in his acceptance speech, described the award as a call to greater service, pledging renewed commitment to advancing Nigerian sports. He dedicated the honour to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of staff of the National Sports Commission.

“This is a call to do more; it’s a debt that must be paid with total dedication to further reforms and development in Nigerian sports. I am grateful to Sportsville for this very significant honour,” Dikko said.

Also recognised on the night were President of the African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Enitan Oshodi, and initiator of the Niger Delta Games, Itiako Ikpokpo, who jointly received the Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Amadin Desmond Enabulele, was honoured with the Visionary Leadership Award, while seasoned sports administrators Kwame Arthur and Chuka Momah were recipients of the Sports Icon Award.

In the innovation category, Bambo Akani, founder of Making of Champions, and Dr Femi Bankole-Alibay were celebrated for their pioneering efforts in sports development, particularly in athletics and 5-aside football respectively.

The Achievers Category recognised contributions from Head of Safety and Security at CAF, Dr Christian Emeruwa, alongside Chief Felix Akiga.

Several individuals were also acknowledged in the Special Recognition Category, including Godwin Kienka, Toyosi Oyetunji, Toyin Aluko, Ama-ebi Ebikpolade, Akin Afolarin, Isaac Danladi, Fausat Dehinde-Yekini, and Fred Newton Erhunmwunse, Chairman of the Edo State Football Association.

In the corporate and institutional awards segment, the Akwa Ibom State Government and Eagle Wings FC, Benin City, emerged winners of the Best Sports Facility Award in the public and private categories respectively, while Brila Media Group clinched the Excellence in Sports Media Award.

Speaking at the event, Chairman/CEO of Sportsville Communication Services, Hon. Frank Ilaboya, reaffirmed the credibility of the awards, stressing that the selection process would remain transparent and merit-driven.

“The Sportsville Award has come to stay, and we have our eyes solely on those truly impacting Nigerian sports across the board,” Ilaboya stated.

A total of 20 distinguished individuals and organisations were honoured at the ceremony, underscoring the growing recognition of excellence and impactful contributions within Nigeria’s sports ecosystem.

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The annual ceremony, which has grown into one of Nigeria’s notable sports recognition platforms, is expected to attract top stakeholders across the sports industry, with 20 individuals and institutions billed to be honoured across seven categories.

Organisers say the event will celebrate excellence and contributions to sports development in the country, with distinguished personalities cutting across administration, media, and grassroots development set to receive honours.

In the Icon Category, veteran sports figures Kwame Arthur and Chuka Momah will be recognised, while Hon. Itiako Ikpokpo and Hon. Wahid Oshodi are to be decorated as Sports Personalities of the Year. Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, will receive the prestigious Sports Transformative Impact Award.

Other recipients include Dr. Femi Bankole Alibay and Bambo Akani in the Creative and Innovative Category, as well as Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele, who will be honoured for Visionary Leadership.

CAF Safety Officer and former basketball player, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, alongside Felix Akiga, are among those slated to receive the Achievers Award.

In the Special Recognition Category, Nasarawa State Attorney General, Barr. Isaac Danladi, will headline the list of awardees, alongside respected athletics announcer Akin Afolarin, Edo State FA Chairman Fred Newton Erhunwunse, Dr. Toyin Aluko, Fausat Dehinde Yekini, and sports advocate Toyosi Oyetunji.

Infrastructure will also be spotlighted, with the Godswill Akpabio Stadium set to receive the Best Facilities Award in the government category, while Eagles Wings FC Sports Complex will be honoured in the private sector category.

The ceremony is scheduled to commence at 6 p.m., with a red carpet session starting 30 minutes earlier.

Established six years ago, the Sportsville Awards aim to recognise and reward individuals and organisations driving the growth and development of sports in Nigeria.

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Lagos will witness a gathering of some of the biggest names in Nigerian sports administration and athletics as the 6th edition of the Sportsville Special Recognition Award holds on Good Friday.

The event, scheduled for 6 pm at the Lagos Country Club, is expected to attract a distinguished audience drawn from across the nation’s sporting ecosystem. Chairman of the occasion is Larry Izamoje, founder of Brila Media Group.

Among the high-profile dignitaries already in Lagos for the ceremony are former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, now Special Adviser to the President, as well as respected sports administrator Amos Adamu. Also confirmed are Danladi Bako and football legend Segun Odegbami.

The Managing Director of Lift Above Poverty Organisation, Godwin Ehigiamusoe, is also among the prominent guests expected at the ceremony.

Top officials from the National Sports Commission will be led to the event by its Director General, Bukola Olopade. The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, will also be in attendance alongside coach Fanny Amun and Nigeria Olympic Committee scribe Tunde Popoola.

Olympians such as Henry Amike and Olumide Oyedeji are equally expected, adding further glamour to the night.

Other notable personalities billed for the event include marketing and corporate figures like Idoreyin Enag, Taye Ige, sports consultant Mitchel Obi and Tayo Popoola.

Media and sports stakeholders such as Felix Awogu, Charles Anazodo, Kweku Tandoh, Efiong Nyong and Mojeed Adegbindin are also listed among the guests.

Former internationals, including Waidi Akanni, Friday Elahor, Wasiu Ipaye, Loveday Omoniyi and Sarah Igunbor, are also expected to grace the occasion.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer of Sportsville Communication Services Limited, Frank Ilaboya, described the event as a celebration of excellence in Nigerian sports.

“The annual Sportsville Award has become a gathering of the crème de la crème of sports personalities in Nigeria, and this is exactly what we are expecting,” Ilaboya said.

He added that the organising committee, headed by Harry Iwuala, has put finishing touches to ensure a memorable evening.

“This is our sixth edition, and we are ready to leverage our past experiences to deliver an award ceremony that will meet international standards. With the quality of guests on the ground, it promises to be another great night of celebration,” he said.

The Sportsville Special Recognition Award has, over the years, established itself as one of Nigeria’s premier sports honour platforms, celebrating outstanding contributions and achievements across various disciplines.

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Green is one of the top nominees in the Sports Personality of the Year category and will be honoured alongside Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Honour also beckons onDr. Honour Sirawoo, Permanent Secretary of Permanent Secretary of the Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communications. There are also several distinguished personalities drawn from banking, academia, public service, entertainment and the corporate sector set to be honoured.

The awards, supported by the Rivers State Government and key ministries, aim to celebrate excellence across 31 categories.
SSMEAwards President, Sammy Wejinya, said the initiative seeks to inspire improved service delivery across the South South region.

“We want stakeholders to consistently raise their game, knowing society is watching,” he said.

The Red Carpet opens at 5pm, with the main event starting at 6pm, as Port Harcourt prepares to celebrate its “heroes and heroines” — with Chris Green clearly relishing the moment.

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Global football training institution, the Aspire Academy in Doha, Qatar which reshaped the global sporting landscape, celebrated its 20th anniversary by honouring one of those who shaped the institution, Zohair Ammar.

He is a well-known Egyptian sports management instructor and expert in sports marketing.

As an advisor, Ammar was instrumental in the founding of the institution which has been a beacon for sports academies globally.

Zohair Ammar – a honour well deserved.

Ammar was given special recognition at the 20th anniversary of the institution which also coincided with the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

He was an advisor to the founding committee and witnessed the Emiri decree in 2004 that brought this ambitious project to life.

Aspire, an independent government-funded agency, was born, reporting directly to the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani through the heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

In 2008 a significant milestone was reached with an Emiri decree that integrated Aspire Academy as a strategic business unit (SBU) within the newly formed Aspire Zone Foundation.

This transition, while altering the organizational structure, did not alter the core mission of Aspire: to nurture and develop exceptional athletes, both locally and globally.

 Ammar’s personal connection to Aspire ran deep. He had been honoured to attend the grand opening ceremony in 2005, led by the Emir himself at the magnificent Aspire Dome.

The event marked Aspire’s official debut on the world stage, signalling its commitment to excellence and innovation.

As a sports journalist, I got to know Ammar while attending the FIFA/CIES diploma course in sports management at Cairo University in 2011/2012.

I had the privilege of learning from his expertise. As the program manager, Ammar’s dedication to fostering the next generation of sports leaders was evident.

My wife and I became the first couple that attend the course and were fortunate enough to complete the 4th edition of this prestigious program,

We are living testimonies to the valuable insights and inspiration imparted by Ammar.

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  Ebiere Joseph Akunwa receives her award from Pinky Mothie, the Director of Influential Women and Artes Awards IWAA.

Years ago, she was an advertising and marketing executive for the Nigerian edition of Kick Off magazine. She has since veered off into culinary. As an  entrepreneur and owner of Taste Full Plate

In Cape Town South Africa, she was recognised at the epoch-making Influential Women and Artes Awards (IWAA) 2024 held at  Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.

The award recognises women doing South Africa proud by making a substantial difference in their communities through their various selfless, humanitarian and enterprising endeavours that cut across different sectors of the country. 

It had in attendance  Bollywood star and King of Diversity Rajiv Mothie Doorghepersadh.

 Ebiere Joseph-Akwunwa with Rajiv Mothie  a multifaceted professional with expertise as an Actor, Producer, Media Buyer, Marketing Specialist, and Performance Coach.

Ebiere Joseph Akunwa who was among the 100 women recognised explained that she started the catering business just five years ago when she opened her first Taste Full Plate Dining at 77 Voortrekker Road Boston, Bellville.

“Taste Full Plate has curated menus and featured in big food events like the International Food Evening at the University of Stellenbosch which is the university’s biggest event aimed at using food to integrate its students. Taste Full Plate is fast becoming a household name providing special culinary services for destination weddings.” 

Since 2020, Taste Full Plate has also been catering to the needs of film-makers seeking adventitious food effects. The services of Taste Full Plate are also extended to the Sports and Recreation industry where the culinary needs of cyclists attending the Cape Town and Franschhoek Cycle Tours are been served since 2017.

Ebiere Joseph-Akwunwa flanked to her left by  Dr Mama K Akiyode-Adebayo  )of the Nigerian Community Western Cape and Prof Ada Ordor the Director at Centre for Comparative Law in Africa at the University of  Cape Town.

Taste Full Plate also vends its services to exclusive student groups and specific departments of the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape.

 She explained that her motivation in using Nigerian food to venture into the hospitality industry in South Africa was anchored on what she described as her defining mantra “Look at the Chinese; they first conquered the world with their food and then their products. Today, the rest is history”

 Ebiere holds a master’s degree in Public Relations Management from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and enjoys a laid-back family time with her husband Joseph and daughters Odein and Virtue.

These Awards, meant to further generate, enable and inspire positive conversations around the Nigeria game at home and abroad, will feature seven categories in its initial format, highlighting the contributions of players and coaching staff across the ‘beautiful game.’

The NFF Awards will not only recognize and honour individual excellence, but also provide valuable sponsorship opportunities, potentialities and possibilities, allowing companies and institutions to support the development, growth and sustainability of the Nigeria game.

With a focus on celebrating achievements and sector-wide accomplishments, fostering meaningful and fruitful fan engagements, showcasing Nigeria Football on the global stage and keeping conversations on the Nigeria game permanently on the front burner globally, the NFF Awards project promises to be a cornerstone programme for the sport in the country.

The NFF projects that the Awards, and the robust conversations that it will generate online and offline, will contribute immensely to the new drive and efforts to reposition the country’s domestic Leagues, and ultimately engender steadfast interest of the private sector in the Nigeria game.  

Further details on the Awards, including award categories, nomination process and launch date, will be released in the coming weeks.  

The joy of Edo State Sports Commission Chairman, Olympian Yussuf Alli,  knows no bounds this morning as Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, prepares to receive the above award courtesy of Sportsville on March 1st, 2024 in Lagos.

The longer jumper whose National Record remains  unbroken till date, has this to say; “this is one award that is factual and real. Nobody in the sports industry can dispute the world class facilities we have in the State.

“The Samuel Ogbemudia Sports Complex houses one of the best facilities not only in Nigeria, but Africa.

“We also have other facilities scattered around the state.

That’s why Edo State is now the destination of sports in Nigeria.

“As we speak, we are preparing to host the NPFL Youth League finals, and you can be sure the young boys will enjoy the use of our top-class facilities.”

Edo State has become a reference point when it comes to facilities in the nation, hosting all most all the top tournaments in the past few years.

The award winning long jumper says the people of Edo State and indeed Nigerians have cause to be  very proud of Governor Obaseki’s vision of using  sports as empowerment tool for the youths of the State

“This is paying off now as our mandate to raise over 10,000 athletes is right on course,” he added.

Edo State came tops  in the government-owned facilities category, just as Remo Sports Complex owned by Kunle Soname got nominated in the private category.

The State with the Best Investment In Sports goes to Delta State.

This year’s awards ceremony comes up on Friday, March 1st at the Prestigious EKO CLUB, Surulere, Lagos under the Chairmanship of ex Green Eagles Skipper, Dr Segun Odegbami MON.