Ever heard of a Nigerian who has piano wires as his nerves – rugged and determined? You may not need to look farther as the CEO of Match Makers Consult, the organizers of Nigeria Pitch Awards, Shina Philips represents a sterling example. This Saturday, the city of Asaba in Delta State will host the sixth edition of his dream, the prestigious award where top players like Musa Ahmed, Wilfred Ndidi and Odion Ighalo will fight for the golden crown of King of Football in Nigeria. There are chains of awards for the night after Nigeria’s international friendly match against Zimbabwe at the Stephen Keshi Stadium.
Here, the man with many parts bares his mind to THE CREST on the journey so far regarding the Nigeria Pitch Awards.
Sir, can we get into your world…?
My name is Shina Philips, the initiator of the Nigeria Pitch Awards I am also the man behind the LAMPS; an awards that serves the continent by way of telling our story to the entire world, to show the world that our continent has sons and daughters who can also impact the world. I am also a security consultant, an international assessor on security, who features prominently in a security programme, Security Watch Africa which has got to do with security maters on the continent, not just Nigeria.
.Prominent among what you do is giving awards to people and organizations, what spurs you to give out these awards?
If I recall correctly, I will say that it’s an inspiration from God that led to the instituting of the Nigeria Pitch Awards to reward those who bring happiness and joy to Nigerians.
I can’t recall the moment when I thought about awards. However, I have often drawn my inspiration from God, I believe I was inspired to initiate a rewarding system by the way of Nigeria Pitch Awards.
When you look at the other sectors in Nigeria, how they honour and celebrate their heroes, you feel there is a need to institute this awards to celebrate the Nigerian football players, those who administer the game, those who daily report the game, administrators and other mentors alike.
As a matter of fact, the Nigeria Pitch Awards is initiated to carter for those who are players on and off the Pitch.
Why concentrating on football alone and not on other sports?
Inasmuch as I love other sports, football can be said to have endeared itself to me in a very special way.
Regardless of the multi cultural, geo-political and religious biases, you will discover that apart from GOD , the next thing that has a hold on Nigerians is football, it unites us as a people. I can’t find any other sports that can compete with football not just in Nigeria but in the world over.
How else do we respond to those who play the game? There is a need to reward these footballers that have brought so much joy to Nigerians.
It’s a pitiy when I see some of these stars who played the game in a terrible state of deprivation considering the humongous amount of money they made all because they have no financial plan for themselves in the future especially those who played abroad.
Those footballers who are not in a good state today after playing the game have themselves to blame, not the government considering what they made from football.
How easy has it been for you organizing this awards going to the 6th edition now?
: I like the question. Being a literature student, first it’s ironical. More often than not people ask how difficult.
Before one thinks or imagine a concept one would ordinarily think about how easy or difficult it will be But I realized that in Nigeria, and this applies to every sector in terms of projects that come up, the environment is very hostile and not enabling enough especially when your project or idea is genuine.
A whole lot contend with you and your idea, Sometimes you don’t even know why the contentions or where they are coming from. If you are not careful you will start thinking it’s spiritual and that those people back home are after you. But again, it has to do with the environment.
If you come to look at the Oscars, Bafta , Golden Glove awards and other prominent awards in the world, they strive simply due to the fact that the environment is enabling.
This awards are designed to celebrate those who have brought laughter to homes, those who have made you and me happy by the things they do; even in politics, banking and other fields, people who have brought in some form of joy to us. They honestly deserve to be celebrated, through this awards platforms.
The reason why Wole Soyinka, is reckoned with today, why he is a legend, and seen as a literary icon today is the Nobel Prize for Literature he received. That epoch event turned his life around and took him to different dimension. All these awards are done to show that we do not only appreciate but we want them engrained in our hearts in quote so that they will not be forgotten.
How come that you lack sponsors despite this consistency from the Pitch Awards?
The fact that we have not really had a major sponsor regardless of our sleepless efforts baffles me. But we have a vision and a dream that is driving us despite this challenge.
When I first called for a world press conference in 2011, that press conference alone took over 6 million to announce a prestigious sports awards
As at that time so many Nigerians see and view awards with some forms of apathy, even at a time when people feel every award is sold, I strongly disagreed to that.
The Nigeria Pitch Awards came with its own unique character that has to do with international best practice.
When you do what is right you will get the right result. To say we have not gone through the thick and thin because of the path we chose to tread, would be a blatant lie, It has been rough but we are pointedly focused; we have been able to weather the storm despite the human and natural elements working against this dream.
We have been able to carry on because God gave the vision. There have been moments when you look left and right and you feel like quitting. But thanks to God, we are able to surmount all the hurdles we have come across from the first edition to the fifth. And now the sixth edition. Though we have had the privilege of a few sponsors, we had Payporte who gave us some amount which we appreciate, We had Bet9ja who came in at some point, they could have plunged in fully because this kind of awards is different. In all, we are not giving in because we are make sure that the foundation is solidly laid.
The birth of the Pitch awards is from God. Our core values are Transparency, Credibility and making sure it remains prestigious. These have been the nature of the Pitch Awards.
A presenter on television said the Nigeria Pitch Awards is very difficult to win why is it that difficult to win?
Simple! The process that brings out the nominees and eventual winners is watertight; even as organizers, we don’t have access to the results .
The voting process of the Nigeria Pitch Awards is coordinated entirely by SIAO Partners, one of Nigeria’s foremost accounting and auditing firms. Like all lovers of football in Nigeria, we eagerly await the results from the accounting firm.
From inception of the awards, we have used this professionals. We only midwife the process.
We have our college of voters drawn from the 36 States of the federation including the federal capital , Abuja. These are experts who engage in the business of football year in and out, sports editors and analysts alike who are not just fans but great minds. We can’t sacrifice integrity for money .
It is rumoured that you sold properties to get this awards going how true is that?
I think that prior to the first edition in 2012, I came up with the Night of Stars where actors and actresses were present. Julius Agu who was the anchor with Uru Eke, before the guests appealed to the then Governor of Cross Rivers State, Senator Liyel Imoke, to please support Shina Philips, that he sold his land and all that, to pursue the Pitch Awards.
Well in affirmation, I believe in my dream. I also believe that any dream you have that you cannot make sacrifice for is not worth it in the first place. Any dream you have that you cannot take embarrassments for is not worth it.
The Coca Cola’s of this world, Ebony, Chicken George and others have their stories to tell. If you are the type who reads biographies, you will understand. You must go through the process. The truth is that any good sacrifice is worth it.
My major sacrifice is first yielding everything to God, those things that are material I can sell to achieve my purpose.
The Nigeria Pitch Awards is rated among the best 10 awards in the country by Goggle , how does that make you feel?
While In my house in Italy, a friend called me and said ‘have you checked Wikipedia? I asked him in return what is in Wikipedia ? He said they wrote about Nigeria Pitch Awards. I was surprised and excited because it was not solicited for. How they get to know that the award is credible was the major excitement for me .
Just a few years later Goggle rated us amongst the best 10 awards in Nigeria, Well I tell the truth, the excitement I felt is greeted with the reality that I have a lot of work to do. We are still in the process of getting our acts together, to get it right. Those commendations we got from the rating is simply telling us that we need to work harder.
This platform will not just be a place for celebration of achievers in short term but it will be in existence for so many years to come after we have gone in a good old age. The awards will carry on like The Oscars that had their 100th edition by God’s grace.
