President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, Dr. Shina Philips, has thrown the organisation’s weight behind the ongoing football reforms initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling on stakeholders, particularly the media, to support efforts aimed at strengthening the administration of the game.

Philips made the call while delivering his speech at the 12th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony held at Ibis Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, where he described the ongoing transformation in Nigeria’s football ecosystem as an opportunity to improve governance, professionalism and accountability.

According to him, reforms within the relevant regulatory institutions require courage, transparency, accountability and a willingness to embrace better ways of doing things.

“The ongoing reforms within the relevant regulatory institutions present both opportunities and responsibilities,” Philips said, commending President Tinubu for what he described as a bold step.

He urged football stakeholders and the Fourth Estate of the Realm to support the presidential initiative, stressing that reforms should strengthen football administration, improve professionalism, enhance transparency and protect the interests of stakeholders.

Philips said the Nigeria Pitch Awards would continue to recognise excellence as an important component of motivating players, coaches, administrators and other contributors to the development of the sport.

He explained that the significance of the awards goes beyond the presentation of trophies, noting that recognition sends a message to young footballers that their talent, discipline and hard work can be acknowledged.

Pitch Awards Announces Emerging Star Category

In a major development, Philips announced that the Nigeria Pitch Awards will introduce an Emerging Star Award from its next edition.

The new category will be dedicated to identifying and celebrating Nigeria’s most promising young football talent, with nominees required to be below the age of 18.

According to Philips, the initiative is designed to encourage competition at the grassroots and provide greater recognition for young players emerging through Nigeria’s football development system.

He said the decision reflects the organisation’s desire to focus more attention on the next generation of Nigerian football stars.

2025 Awards Held After Delay

Philips also explained the circumstances surrounding the delayed 12th edition of the awards, stressing that the ceremony was specifically for the 2025 award year.

He expressed regret over the delay, noting that the ceremony should have taken place earlier but was moved because of circumstances that affected the original schedule.

“All logistics were in place, but certain factors necessitated this shift. This is unusual for us,” he said.

The Pitch Awards president, however, announced that preparations for the next edition would commence early, with voting for the 2026 edition scheduled to begin in December 2026.

He also disclosed that the 13th Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony will be held in 2027 and will be preceded by a symposium, as earlier planned.

Philips Defends Voting Process

Philips further used the occasion to reaffirm the credibility and transparency of the voting process used to determine winners of the Nigeria Pitch Awards.

He explained that the winners are decided by a College of Voters comprising sports editors from across the country.

According to him, the organisation will make the voting pattern available shortly after the ceremony to allow nominees and voters to see how votes were distributed.

He said the initiative was intended to reinforce confidence in the process and demonstrate that the votes and wishes of the College of Voters were properly captured.

‘We Celebrate Every Footballer’

Philips said the Nigeria Pitch Awards was not established solely to celebrate winners, but also to acknowledge the collective contributions of everyone working to advance Nigerian football.

He said the organisation celebrates footballers, coaches, administrators, referees, journalists, supporters and other stakeholders whose efforts contribute to the development of the game.

“We celebrate the established stars. We celebrate the women and men who continue to give their best on the field. We celebrate the emerging talents,” he said.

He added that coaches who develop players, referees who officiate matches, administrators who organise competitions, journalists who tell the stories and supporters whose passion keeps football alive all deserve recognition.

Financial Challenges

The Pitch Awards president also acknowledged the growing financial challenges involved in sustaining an annual national awards programme.

He noted that rising costs covering logistics, production, publicity, hospitality, trophies and media engagement had made the organisation of each edition increasingly demanding.

Despite the challenges, Philips said the organisers remained committed to keeping the awards alive because footballers and other contributors deserve to be celebrated for their sacrifices.

He called for stronger partnerships to ensure the sustainability of the awards, while expressing appreciation to the National Sports Commission, Nigeria Football Federation, SIAO Partners and the Nigerian media for their support.

Philips said the organisers would continue to explore additional partnerships as they seek to strengthen the platform.

The 12th Nigeria Pitch Awards therefore ended with a renewed commitment to celebrating excellence, strengthening transparency in recognition and creating a platform for Nigeria’s next generation of football stars.