A major step in the growing recognition of netball in Nigeria was recorded in Lagos as Oluwatoyin Aluko received honours at the Sportsville Special Recognition Awards.

The award, presented on April 3 at Lagos Country Club, celebrated individuals making important contributions to sports development beyond football and other major sports.

Dr. Aluko’s recognition comes shortly after her appointment to lead the Nigeria Netball Federation, where she is already working to secure stronger African and global recognition for the sport.

Expressing his delight on the project, Frank Ilaboya said, “I’m excited about the quality of the promo, it truly reflects the quality of the award ceremony we are putting together.

“From day one, we have always craved for an award ceremony that everyone one, including the awardees, will be proud of in terms of quality and presentation.

“So far so good, the brand we envisioned is gradually shaping up and we will continue to work harder to get the best,” the Chief Executive Officer of Sportsville, the organizers of the annual award.

Netball is one of the fastest-growing sports internationally, especially in United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Nigeria now has a major advantage because many players of Nigerian heritage abroad are ready and willing to represent the country.

In Britain especially, several dual-national players and experienced coaches have shown interest in helping Nigeria build a strong national team capable of competing for medals.

Media entrepreneur and sports supporter, Mentoring Cmdt Alistair also played a supportive role by encouraging discussions around the opportunities netball offers Nigeria. His engagement with sports leadership helped strengthen attention on the speed at which the federation could move forward. That is the aspiration of the D-G Honourable Bukola Olopade who called on all stakeholders with a strong outlook, mission and vision.

He and other leading sport icons continues to support UK coaching links and diaspora player mobilisation for Nigeria.

For corporate organisations, netball presents a fresh investment window because it supports women’s sports, youth development and international branding.

With proper sponsorship, Nigeria can quickly grow into a strong African force in netball.

Many believe Dr. Aluko’s award may become one of the early signs of a new sporting success story for Nigeria.