NFF urges Pitch Awards organisers to maintain high standards

President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has urged the organisers of the annual Nigeria Pitch Awards to maintain their commitment to high standards of integrity and transparency that have defined the awards since their inception.

During a meeting in his office with Shina Phillips, President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, and Pastor Nelson Olafisoye, the Chief Operating Officer, Gusau emphasised that the NFF’s continued endorsement of the awards is due to the credibility and transparency of the selection process, which has remained unblemished for over 12 years.

“The NFF continues to endorse the Nigeria Pitch Awards because we are satisfied with the transparency of the process and the credibility of the results, which gives it high integrity,” Gusau said.

“We will always support positive projects that contribute to the development of Nigerian football.”

He further stressed the importance of recognizing and rewarding excellence, stating, “People love to be appreciated for what they are doing. Awards serve to recognize and reward different actors in a particular sector, and when people are appreciated and rewarded, they tend to make more effort and improve their delivery. If everyone in the Nigerian football ecosystem makes more effort and improves on their delivery, we will be at a very high level in a very short time.”

Shina Phillips, encouraged by Gusau’s remarks, reaffirmed the organisers’ commitment to ensuring that the Nigeria Pitch Awards remains a symbol of transparency and credibility in Nigerian football.