The President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Philips, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to credibility, transparency and the development of Nigerian football, as nominees for the 12th edition of the awards were officially unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja.

 

Philips made this known during a special luncheon held at the Johnwood Hotel, Wuse, Abuja, as part of activities leading to the 12th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony. The event brought together football stakeholders, partners, sports editors, members of the College of Voters and football enthusiasts.

 

Welcoming guests, Philips described the gathering as the third in a series of engagements aimed at appreciating stakeholders for their support over the past 12 years. He noted that the luncheon also marked the formal announcement of nominees for the 12th Award Ceremony, following the conclusion of voting on November 18, 2025.

 

He recalled that at the inaugural press conference in 2012, the organisers pledged to build the Nigeria Pitch Awards on the core values of credibility and transparency, a promise he said has been upheld consistently.

 

“With the support of SIAO Partners, our other key partners and the Nigerian sports media nationwide, we have remained steadfast in this commitment,” Philips said, adding that the emergence of nominees followed stringent guidelines that have been in place since 2013.

 

He commended members of the College of Voters across the country for their professionalism and dedication, noting that the voting process, which ran from October 29 to November 18, 2025, recorded a satisfactory response.

 

According to Philips, SIAO Partners, the Vote Collation and Verification partner, collated, audited and verified the integrity of the voting process.

 

“We have worked with SIAO Partners for over 11 years, and they have consistently demonstrated professionalism and commitment to this national project,” he said, expressing confidence in the results that will be presented at the awards ceremony.

 

Philips explained that the Nigeria Pitch Awards was established not only to inspire footballers and stakeholders to higher levels of professionalism, but also to encourage government and corporate bodies to commit more resources to sports development in Nigeria.

 

He said the choice of award categories was deliberately designed to highlight the contributions of footballers, coaches, administrators, journalists, government officials and corporate organisations to the growth of sports, particularly football.

 

While rewarding excellence and patriotism, he noted that the platform also serves as a call to action for governments and administrators to re-engineer sports processes, renew infrastructure and develop sports as a viable, revenue-generating industry.

 

Recognising that awards alone are not sufficient, Philips announced plans to introduce an annual international Sports Conference as part of the award ceremony. He said the conference would bring together national and international sports managers to exchange ideas and adopt modern approaches to sports management.

 

“This will help Nigeria build a new sports culture and industry that is self-sustaining, revenue-generating and employment-generating,” he said.

 

Philips added that the initiative would be particularly beneficial to the management of local leagues, stressing that domestic competitions must serve as a strong foundation for Nigeria’s national teams.

 

In recognition of contributions to sports development, he announced that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would be honoured with the Special Achievement in Sports Award for its role in promoting sports through the Niger Delta Games.

 

He disclosed that the date and venue for the international conference and the 12th Award Ceremony would be announced shortly after the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

 

Philips concluded by thanking the National Sports Commission and the Nigeria Football Federation for their sustained support since the inception of the awards in 2012, as well as members of the College of Voters nationwide.

 

While congratulating all nominees, he urged them to see their nominations as a call to greater commitment and service to Nigerian football and sports development.