By Charles Nwagbara
When the first edition of the Nigeria Pitch Awards ceremony was held on November 16, 2013 at the prestigious Transcorp Metropolitan Hotel Calabar, Cross River State, only a few in attendance gave the organisers and the event a chance that it will last for two more years.
That feeling was simple and understandable. It was the way of most award events in Nigeria. This is especially so with the story of sport awards in the country. The ceremonies start with fanfare only to peter out in a few years.
The Nigerian Pitch Awards maiden ceremony had the same trappings of pomp when it birthed. It held at the swankiest of venues, had the usual trappings of a star ceremony, with all the stars of Nigerian football and a few stars of the Nigerian movie industry in that period present on the night.
So it was not farfetched that many had thought that the organisers set up shop to play in the usual ‘rub my back and I’ll rub yours’ style of most award events in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Pitch Awards outside recognising individual and team achievement on the Football Pitch, acknowledges individuals and corporate entities who contribute significantly to the development of the sport and who embody the spirit of patriotism and selflessness
One of the many problems associated with awards in Nigeria, is the financial foundation. Many who project award platforms use same as avenues to better their financial standings. In such cases, even a highly competitive award category is reduced to who has the ability to “support” the event must emerge winner. Eventually, such award event flags out when there are no more “interested” awardees to market.
Another and perhaps one of the most crucial issues in award events is the matter of nominations. In most cases, individuals or corporate bodies who have played the “support” game but who do not fit into the events are smuggled into categories they have no business with, they even win spurious awards they can’t explain.
But 10 years down the line, not only has the Nigeria Pitch surpassed all expectations, it has become Nigeria’s biggest and perhaps the only enduring sports event in the last decade.
So how did the Nigeria Pitch Awards surmount these challenges to emerge the biggest and perhaps only sport rewards system in Nigeria today?
The Founder, chief executive officer of Lenders Consult International (formerly Matchmakers Consult International) and convener of the awards, Mr. Shina Phillips, gives the insight to what has kept the awards going. According to him, the Nigeria Pitch Awards rides on the full tank of its “Integrity, Credibility and Transparency.”
How the organisers have married these key attributes, is what has propelled the awards to remain standing in the face of daunting challenges.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF which has partnered Lenders Consult on this journey in the past ten years, agrees. According to NFF Director of Communication, Ademola Olajire, the NFF management is so proud of the people behind the success stories of the Nigeria Pitch Awards over the years. The football body has been able to sum up its admiration of the Nigeria Pitch Awards “ICT” philosophy. At one of the media conferences, Olajire explains “The NFF has been giving its support to the organisers because the awards have demonstrated high level of Integrity, Credibility and Transparency (ICT). I must say the NFF appreciates the awards because of the three things I just mentioned, and it will continue to give its full support.”
But how did the organisers establish their integrity, transparency and credibility? Shina Phillips, the founder of the awards, and CEO of Lenders Consult International, formerly Matchmakers Consult International, explains:
“My company’s role in the Nigeria Pitch Awards is simply to midwife the process, which will give Nigerians a football awards of their own. We are that spot on which voters, partners, footballers, journalists, sponsors, administrators and winners meet to celebrate the successes and achievements of Nigerian football stakeholders.”
Interestingly, the organisers of the awards, Lenders Consult has no voting rights. “The strategy”, said Phillips, is to let those who have built their careers monitoring footballers and football related-activities decide those who are worthy to be our football heroes.”
Just like the Ballon d’or, voters are mainly of sports media personalities, each voting in complete independence of others and from different cities and locations in Nigeria. A college of voters, made up of Sports editors and journalists from the 36 states of the country including the federal capital territory, usually nominate candidates for the different award categories.
Chief Operating Officer of Lenders Consult International, Mr. Nelson Olafisoye concurs: “Since its inaugural award ceremony in Calabar, Cross Rivers State on 16th November 2013, organizers of the Nigeria Pitch Awards have remained consistent, sticking to the award guiding principles and core values of transparency, integrity and credibility.
“We decided even before the first edition to restrict themselves to midwifing the process and leaving the award decisions entirely in the hands of professional football journalists who have decades reporting and analysing the game. As a result, voting for winners is done by over 100 sports editors, columnists, analysts and reporters spread across the geopolitical zones of the country. Voting is done online and all votes are received, collated and audited by an independent body – SIAO Partners, one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous accounting and auditing firm. The process is transparent and credible leading to a public acceptance of award decisions and winners.
The award is the longest running football awards in the country and one of few audited awards in Africa.”
To underscore the level at which the organizers bank on their integrity, credibility and transparency, Lenders Consult from day one, surrendered the voting powers to one of Nigeria’s most reputable accounting and auditing firms, SIAO Partners, led by Pastor Ituah Ighodalo. It is the SIAO Partners that mail ballots to the voters, collates and announce winners completely independent of the organisers.
Pastor Ighodalo explains how it works:
“It is a culmination of a long, professional, painstaking process of distribution, retrieval, collation and verification of the nominations and voting.”
“We provide professional auditing services to the Nigeria Pitch Awards, and we accepted the offer “because the process outlined by the organizers was open and transparent, detailed and credible.
“We were also buoyed by the organizers’ determination to remain completely anonymous in the result collation process, thereby, adding required credibility to the award process. Let me state very clearly that SIAO Partners were responsible for the entire voting process and this was done without any interference from the organisers or their other partners. Lenders Consult International only provided the design of the nomination form, the names and addresses of voters.”
On the success of the partnership and process, Phillips said “It’s to our credit that in the last 10 years, after 480 nominations and 160 winners, there have been no controversial award decisions.”
Perhaps, the biggest mainstay of the Nigeria Pitch Awards is its partnership with the media. Sports media titans have consistently collaborated with the organizers of the awards and have consistently ensured the awards does not lose its flavour and credibility.
The ICT strategy of the Nigeria Pitch Awards have also come at a huge cost. It has attracted huge financial constraints to the organisers who insist they will not compromise on the integrity of the awards for sponsors. It has so reflected that in ten years, no ‘big’ corporate organisation has found it expedient to be main sponsors. This is perhaps because the organisers have insisted that no one can be permitted tweak the nomination and winning process.
But barring these odds, Phillips exudes the fervor and hope most Football stakeholders have on the Nigeria Pitch Awards: “We are delighted that the Nigeria Pitch Awards has come to stay and has become an integral part of our annual football calendar.”
Come Saturday, June 8, 2024, the football world will celebrate as the Nigerian Pitch Awards holds its milestone 10th edition. The event will not only be a historic coming of age, but will consolidate stakeholders belief that in the coming years, the Nigeria Pitch Awards will really metamorphose into Africa’s best Football rewards event.
