Sports
NNL Chairman, Aluo Dedicates Imo SWAN Award to NFF President
The changes made by the Nigeria National League Board would not have been possible without the support of the President of the NFF Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau.
Speaking after receiving a letter from the Imo State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria notifying him of the award of the best Sports Administrator, Aluo said all the modest achievements of past season would not have been possible without the support of the President of NFF.
“Everything we achieved last season was due to collective resolve on the part of the board to get things right and the immense support from the President of the NFF Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau.
He not only encouraged and supported all our reforms, but always insisted that the right thing must be done in the best interest of the league. I therefore dedicate this award to Alhaji Gusau for lending us support through all the challenges associated with Nigerian football…His support spured us to take the right decisions and stand by them.”
The award will be confered on Aluo at the Rockville Hotel, Owerri, Imo State during the grand finale of the Imo State Press week on November 16.
Sports
NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity
Joel Ajayi
The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.
In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.
Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.
“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”
Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.
The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.
“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.
As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.
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