It was a night of glory and well-deserved recognition as the 5th Sportsville Special Recognition Awards honoured some of Nigeria’s most influential figures in the sporting industry.
The prestigious event, held on Thursday, April 3, at the Eko Club, Surulere, Lagos, brought together top sports administrators, athletes, coaches and other key stakeholders in celebration of excellence and commitment to sports development in Nigeria. The annual awards’ ceremony recognized individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the sporting ecosystem, spanning administration, coaching, media, and grassroots development. These honorees, through their dedication and hard work, have shaped the industry, inspired younger generations, and contributed to the overall growth of sports in Nigeria.
The impressive hall of attendees at the awards ceremony also had the Managing Editor (Editorial Services) of The Nation Newspapers, Alhaji Lawal Ogienagbon, who represented the Managing Director of The nation, Mr. Victor Ifijeh.
Those who were honoured on Thursday include foremost retired referee Linus Mba; the energetic General Manager of Rangers International , Barr/ Amobi Ezeaku; the immediate past Rivers State Sports Commissioner, Barr. Chris Green; broadcasting entrepreneur, Rotimi Pedro, the CEO of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Davidson Owumi as well as Kingsley Awodi, and Prince Paul Ngadiuba. There was also a posthumous awards for late industrialist and foremost supporter of table tennis, Chief Molade Okoya –Thomas. The biggest award of the night, The Sports Administrator of the Year, was presented to Dr. Uyi Akpata, the President of the Nigerian Cricket Federation. Speaking at the event, the MD/CEO of Sportsville, Frank Ilaboya, highlighted the significance of recognizing individuals who have dedicated their lives to Nigerian sports.
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He said: “It has been a thrilling experience, I’m happy that five years ago, one of the longest running independent sports programs, that means that we have been part and parcel of the sports community, and we thought, how do we celebrate our 20 years? One of the ways we thought of was, let’s begin to do a thing that people, you know, will reckon with. Because if you say thank you to people, you are giving them the fuel to do more. If you say thank you to people that are not even doing, you are giving them the motivation to do more. So we feel that there is a big gap in Nigeria where people are not being appreciated, those who have done well.”
President of Nigeria Cricket Federation, Dr. Uyi Akpata, while accepting the Sports Administrator of the Year award, shared his thoughts on Nigeria’s cricket journey, particularly focusing on the U19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifiers.
“Receiving this award is an honour, and I dedicate it to everyone who believes in the power of sports to shape our future. While our performance in the U19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifiers didn’t meet expectations, I’m proud of the resilience shown by our young team. With proper preparation, support, and integration in the coming years, I have no doubt that we will rise to the challenge and achieve greater success,” Akpata said.
As the night came to a close, there was a palpable sense of appreciation and renewed energy among attendees. The event not only celebrated past and present achievements but also served as a beacon of inspiration for future sports administrators, athletes, and enthusiasts.
The Sportsville Awards once again reinforced its position as one of the most prestigious platforms for acknowledging and celebrating excellence in Nigerian sports.