President of Nigeria Football Federation, (NFF), Ibrahim Gusau, on Wednesday, urged organisers of the annual Nigeria Pitch Awards to ensure the integrity of the project was not compromised.

Mr Gusau, in a statement in Lagos, also charged the organisers to maintain the high standards for which the awards are known.

Speaking in his office while receiving Shina Phillips, president of Nigeria Pitch Awards and Nelson Olafisoye, chief operating officer (CEO), Mr Gusau said that the NFF had always endorsed the awards.

He said this was because of the integrity of the awards and the credibility that the project had maintained over its 12 years of existence.

“The NFF has continued to endorse the Nigeria Pitch Awards because we are satisfied with the transparency of the process and credibility of the results, which gives it high integrity.

“We will always do our best to support positive projects that contribute to the development of the Nigeria game.

“People love to be appreciated for what they are doing. Awards serve to recognize and reward different actors in a particular sector, and when people are appreciated and rewarded

“They tend to make more effort and improve on their delivery,” he said.

According to him, if everyone in the football ecosystem makes more effort and improves on his or her delivery,the system will be at a very high level within a very short period of time.

Speaking, Mr Phillips pledged that the organisers would not relent in commitment to transparent and credible execution of the awards.

(NAN)