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Ogunnowo Named African Football Manager of the Year
By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde
Olushola Ogunnowo, Chief Operating Officer of Nigeria’s Nationwide League One (NLO), has been awarded the African Football Manager of the Year by the African Performance Leadership Award (APLA 2025), headquartered in Burkina Faso.
The award was presented on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the Airport Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.
Ogunnowo was recognized for his transformative leadership, pragmatic policies, and efforts in positioning grassroots football in Nigeria as a viable business brand.
In his acceptance speech, Ogunnowo dedicated the award to the grassroots football community, including players, fans, and his colleagues at the NLO.
“This award is less about me and more about the spirit of commitment shared by everyone at the NLO,” he said, while reaffirming his goal of making Nigeria’s grassroots football globally competitive.
Other notable recipients at the APLA 2025 event included Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos State), Governor Alex Otti (Abia State), and Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Distinguished guests included former South African President Jacob Zuma and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
