Lagos, Nigeria - Outstanding Nigerian sports men and women who have excelled in their respective sporting events including Football, Athletics, Basketball are expected to be recognized and honoured with the Nigerian Sports Award - an initiative of the Unmissable Incentives, a subsidiary of Keskese Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading companies in activation & experiential marketing services in conjunction with Master Sports International.

The Nigerian Sports Award is conceptualized with the vision to be the rallying point and the most prestigious recognition for Nigerian sport personalities who have performed excellently well in their respective sports thereby flying the flag of the country high in either local and international sports competition.

Speaking at the press conference to unveil plans for the maiden edition of the awards to the media which was held at Protea Hotel, Maryland, Lagos, the General Manager Unmissable Incentives Mr. Kayode Idowu explained that the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) is an award presented for excellence in sport to recognize and celebrate outstanding performances by Nigerian sport men and women.

Idowu further disclosed that the objectives of the awards is to raise prestige and challenge better performance and create healthy competition among Nigerian sport men and women, he said “It is amazing that Nigeria as a sport loving country with many sports men and women excelling in their various fields does not have a well coordinated awards to celebrate our sport men and women, leaving them to be celebrated by other international award bodies like BBC Africa, CAF Awards”.

He noted that the uniqueness of the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) is in the fact that it all encompassing and not restricted to any particular sport thereby promoting the other sports who have not been given attention by the government. “It is high time we stopped focusing our attention solely on Football at the detriment of other sports” he added.

Also speaking at the press conference, the chairman of the Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo explained that the awards are open to Nigerian sport men and women plying their trade within the country and outside the country. The award categories include Football - Best Player (Male and Female), Track and Field - Star of the Year (Male and Female), Ball Sports - Best Player in Ball Sports (Male and Female), Combat Sports – Man/Woman of the year, Weight Lifting - Man/Woman of the year, Boxer - Man/Woman of the year and many others.

He revealed that the award panel comprises of the distinguished sports personalities including Chief Fabio Olanipekun, Mr .Fred Edore (Chairman Lagos SWAN) Falilat Ogunkoya, Ejiro Omonode, Mr. Tade Adekunle and Kayode Idowu.

On the nomination process, Mr. Isiguzo explained that the nomination is open to the general public as they are expected to nominate three top achievers for every category, these nominations would be verified and the three finalists would be selected by the members of the panel and the finalists would be announced to the media.