Nigeria Pitch Awards organisers unveil plan for 11th edition

Organisers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards have announced plans to host the 11th edition of the annual football awards.

Speaking in the nation’s capital, Abuja, Shina Philips, the President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, stated that arrangements, including the hosting of an award conference, have been concluded.

“We have lined up a schedule of interesting events to make the 11th edition of the awards a historic success,” Mr Philips said.

Speaking further, Mr Philips stated that voting by sports editors spread across the 36 states of the federation would begin on Monday 25 November and end on Sunday 5 January 2025.

He stated further that the collation of votes would be done by SIAO Partners, an indigenous accounting and auditing firm, which has been the awards’ independent vote collation body in the last decade.

Announcement of nominees will be done at a Press Conference on 12 January 2025 in Lagos.

“The 11th Award Ceremony will be preceded by an Award Conference scheduled to host an array of guests and speakers from across the globe.

“The Conference, with the theme ‘A Viable Football Ecosystem as Catalyst for Economic Prosperity In Nigeria’, is designed to engender discussions on how the country can manage football to achieve economic prosperity for Nigeria and Nigerians,” he noted.

Lenders Consult International has, over the years, been passionate about galvanising support for the growth of Nigerian football through its capacity building efforts.

In May 2011, the firm organised the first-ever FIFA/NFF Players’ Agents Workshop in Lagos.

The training, which attracted top FIFA representation, was attended by over a hundred football agents from Nigeria and abroad.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour.

Other dignitaries expected are Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the executive governor of Lagos State; Amaju Pinnick, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee; Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission; football managers; sports journalists and top football stars from across the football community.

Mr Philips expressed the organisers gratitude to the Nigeria Football Federation and sports editors and journalists across the country for their support for the Nigeria Pitch Awards since 2012 while reiterating organisers continual commitment to the development of football and sport in general.

The Nigeria Pitch Awards was endorsed by the Nigeria Football Federation in 2012. The 11th Awards Ceremony is scheduled to be held in March 2025.