Behold the 50 Most Influential Personalities in Nigeria’s Gaming Industry
As the Nigeria Gaming Awards Board makes its first announcement of awardees, Iyke Bede writes that some details of the event have been deliberately held back to create excitement in the gaming communities
History will be made in November 2023 when the Nigeria Gaming Awards (NGA) debuts in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital and home to many of the leading businesses in the gaming industry. The event will mark the formal investiture of the 50 Most Influential Personalities in Nigeria’s Gaming Industry.
The event promises to continue the groundbreaking record established last November 17, 2022 at the onset of the first-ever publication of pages dedicated to the gaming industry, GAMING WEEK, edited by Nseobong Okon-Ekong, which debuted in THISDAY Newspapers, making the leading publication
the first daily newspaper in Nigeria, and by extension Africa to have pages solely dedicated to the multibillion-Naira gaming industry.
The debut edition of Nigeria Gaming Awards will celebrate coincide with the first anniversary of GAMING WEEK and its sister publication, www.bigprizeafrika.com in a most auspicious way that will highlight the pioneering efforts of men and women who set the pace and continue to nurture the gaming industry in Nigeria. Honours will be bestowed to deserving personalities in nine categories including Betting, Gaming, Lottery, Casino, Regulatory, Women, Workers, Media and Consultants.
Being its debut edition, focus will be on trailblazers, in many instances. In choosing recipients, the Nigeria Gaming Awards Board considered several things including leadership and character. Slated for recognition in the Regulatory Category are His Excellency, Senator George Akume, Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila, Director General, National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), Mr. Bello Maigari, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Lottery Trust Fund (NLTF), Mr. Bashir Are, CEO, Lagos State Lottery and Gaming Authority, Mr. Layi Onafowokan, Managing Director, National Lottery Nigeria and Mr. Olamide Boladuro, DG/Chairman, Oyo State Gaming Board.
Lined up for decoration at the debut Nigeria Gaming Awards in the Leading Women Category are Olabimpe Akingba, Executive Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers (ANB), the umbrella trade group for Sports Betting companies, Maha Otu, Director at BetWinner Nigeria, Fadeke Akeju of WYS Solicitors, Jumoke Odumosu of Velex Advisory, Adenike Oyebamiji of Velex Advisory, Eniola Edun, co-founder of Gamr and Bukola Akingbade. The leader in the organized workers body, National Union of Lottery Agents and Employees (NULAE), an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade David Omaghomi is billed for recognition, as well.
The Betting, Lottery and Casino categories have reserved places of honour for Sir Kessington Adebutu, Founder, Premier Lotto Limited, Kunle Soname, Founder, Bet9ja, Chairman of 1XBet Nigeria Limited, Mr. Femi Babalola, Oloye Akin Alabi, Founder of NairaBet, Sheriff Olaniyan of SureBet247, Chris Obosi of Betway, Adekunke Adeniji of BetBonanza, Sudeep Dalamai Ramnani of SportyBet, Chief Tayo Ayoku of Golden Gate Casino, Bernard Grootherder of Jacaranda Casino, Oyindamola Michaels, Country Manager of PariMatch, Mr. Solomon Godwin of Pragmatic Play, Benjamin Yelnap of Global Gaming, Mr. Yomi Oketope, President of Casino Operators, Mr. Patrick Alike and Mr. Kenneth Abole of Promatic Nigeria among others.
The Nigeria Gaming Awards is a two-day event that will incorporate the first-ever Nigeria Gaming Business Roundtable (NGBRT), exclusively presenting live sessions with founders and chief executive officers of top businesses in the Nigerian gaming industry, who will be expected to give deep insight on how to work successfully with policymakers to bring about a conducive business environment that can lead to growth in opportunities, promote healthy competition and create more jobs. Anticipation for personalities that will complete the list of awardees and other interesting highlights of the event have been deliberately slanted to excite the Nigerian gaming communities, as the Nigeria Gaming Awards Board makes the final announcement in the coming weeks.
