League Bloggers Awards

Association football league awards in Nigeria

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League Bloggers AwardSport| Association football

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Competition| All levels of Nigerian football
Country| Nigeria
Presented by| League Bloggers Awards
History
First award| 2012
First winner|  Reuben Gabriel
Most wins|  Mfon Udoh
(2 awards)
Most recent|  Chijioke Mbaoma
Website| thelbawards.wordpress.com

The League Bloggers Awards (also called LBA), is an independent initiative conceived to celebrate players, coaches and administrators in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Nigeria Women Football League and Nigeria National League. Formerly called Naija Premier League Online Award, it started in 2009 and was rebranded to become League Bloggers Awards in 2012. Awards (Player Of The Month & Coach Of The Month) were initially on a monthly basis from 2009 before the first End Of Season Award kicked off in 2012. The end-of-season awards ceremony wasn't held in 2015, 2018, 2020 & 2021 for various reasons.

## History

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Founded in 2009 by Ojeikere Aikhoje and George Akpayen as the Naija Premier League Online Awards when both men met during the Super 4 Pre-Season Tournament, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The awards were initially on a monthly basis before becoming a seasonal event in 2012 when it was rebranded as the League Bloggers Awards (LBA). Reuben Gabriel was the first[1] winner of the Player Of The Season Award. The awards ceremony have held in Lagos every year since 2012, except in 2018 when the League was suspended and in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

## Main categories

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Season  | Player of the Season  | Rookie of the Season  | Coach of the Season  | Club of the Season  | Top Scorer  | Women Player of the Season  | NNL Player of the Season

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2012 |  Reuben Gabriel[2][3] (Kano Pillars)  |  Andrew Abalogu (ABS F.C.)  |  Dominic Iorfa (Lobi Stars)  |  Kano Pillars |  Sibi Gwar (Niger Tornadoes)  | —  | —
2013[4] |  Rabiu Ali[5] (Kano Pillars)  |  Oghenekaro Etebo (Warri Wolves)  |  Mohammed Babagananu (Kano Pillars)  |  Kano Pillars |  Victor Namo (Nasarawa United)  | —  | —
2014[6] |  Mfon Udoh[6] (|Enyimba FC)  |  Chisom Chikatara (Abia Warriors)  |  Okey Emordi (Kano Pillars)  |  Kano Pillars |  Mfon Udoh (|Enyimba FC)  | —  | —
2015 | —  | —  | —  | —  |  Gbolahan Salami (Warri Wolves)  | —  | —
2016 |  Chisom Egbuchulam (Rangers International)  | —  |  Imama Amapakabo (Rangers International)  |  Rangers International |  Godwin Obaje (Wikki Tourists)  | —  | —
2017[7] |  Anthony Okpotu[8] (Lobi Stars)  |  Peter Eneji (Plateau United)  |  Kennedy Boboye (Akwa United)  |  Plateau United |  Anthony Okpotu[9](Lobi Stars)  |  Rasheedat Ajibade (FC Robo)  |  Michael Ohanu (Kwara United)
2018 | —  | —  | —  | —  |  Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars)  | —  | —
2019 |  Mfon Udoh (|Enyimba FC)  | —  |  Usman Abd'Allah (Enyimba)  |  Enyimba Football Club |  Mfon Udoh (Enyimba Football Club)

Sunusi Ibrahim (Nasarawa United)

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2019-20 | —  | —  | —  | —  |  Israel Abia (Rangers International)  | —  | —
2020-21 |  Silas Nwankwo (|Nasarawa United)  | —  |  Kennedy Boboye (Akwa United)  |  Akwa United |  Charles Atshimene (Akwa United)

Silas Nwankwo (Nasarawa United)

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2021-22 |  Chijioke Akuneto (Rivers United)  | —  |  Stanley Eguma (Rivers United)  |  Rivers United |  Chijioke Akuneto (Rivers United)  | —  | —
2022-23[10][11] |  Chukwuemeka Obioma (Enyimba Football Club)  |  Robert Mizo (Bayelsa United)  |  Daniel Ogunmodede (Remo Stars)  |  Remo Stars[12] |  Chukwuemeka Obioma (Enyimba Football Club)  | —  | —
2023-24[13] |  Chijioke Mbaoma[14] (Enyimba FC)  |  Suleiman Sani[15] (Akwa United)  |  Fidelis Ilechukwu[16] (Rangers International)  |  Rangers International |  Chijioke Mbaoma (|Enyimba FC)  |  Emem Essien (Edo Queens)  |  Kparobo Arierhi[17] (Beyond Limits F.A.)
2024-25 | —  | —  | —  | —  | —  | —  | —

## Sponsorship

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In 2014, Betting brand, 1960BET[18] sponsored the awards and presented a brand new car to the Player of the Season, Mfon Udoh[19] Football engagement platform, 54footballx, initially signed a two-year deal with the LBA in 2024 as Sponsor.

## References

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1. ^ "GABRIEL Wins LBA Player of the Year | All Nigeria Soccer". www.allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
2. ^ "GABRIEL Wins LBA Player of the Year | All Nigeria Soccer". www.allnigeriasoccer.com. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
3. ^ Nation, The (19 September 2012). "Reuben thrilled over LBA nomination". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
4. ^ Nation, The (8 November 2013). "League Awards hold November 20". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
5. ^ Television, Channels (10 April 2012). "Nigeria Premier League names Rabiu Ali player of the month". Channels Television. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
6. ^ a b "Mfon Udoh wins best Nigerian League Player award". www.premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
7. ^ Dairo, Fisayo (27 October 2017). "NPFL: League Bloggers Awards gets November date". ACLSports. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
8. ^ Dairo, Fisayo (29 November 2017). "Okpotu, Plateau United reign supreme at LBA Awards night". ACLSports. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
9. ^ "Garlands for outstanding NPFL players in 2017 - Daily Trust". dailytrust.com/. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
10. ^ Adewale, Abiodun (22 August 2023). "NPFL officials absent as Obioma, Ogunmodede win LBA awards". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
11. ^ Victor, Ernest (7 August 2023). "2023 League Bloggers Awards' Nominees For NPFL End Of Season Awards". Naija News. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
12. ^ Sports, Pulse (23 August 2023). "NPFL: Remo Stars sweep League Bloggers Awards, Enyimba's Obioma wins big". Pulse Sports Nigeria. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
13. ^ Adewale, Abiodun (18 July 2024). "Mbaoma, Ismail, Suleiman battle for NPFL best player award". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
14. ^ Adesanya, Taiwo (20 July 2024). "Mbaoma wins NPFL Player of the Season award". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
15. ^ Adesanya, Taiwo (23 July 2024). "Akwa United celebrate Suleiman's Rookie of the Season award". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
16. ^ HUsiayo (17 April 2024). "NPFL: Illechukwu Dedicate Awards To Govenor [sic] Mbah". Retrieved 29 April 2025.
17. ^ Adesanya, Taiwo (20 July 2024). "Kparobo dedicates NNL award to teammates, coaches". Daily Post Nigeria. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
18. ^ admin (3 December 2014). "1960BET is headline sponsor of 2014 League Bloggers Awards". TheNiche. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
19. ^ "Mfon Udoh wins best Nigerian League Player award". www.premiumtimesng.com. Retrieved 16 April 2025.