Pulse Picks: Top 10 Nigerian Sports personalities of 2022

2022 has been quite some year for Nigerian sports. In some aspects, it's been great and encouraging. In some other aspects, it’s been disappointing and mostly underwhelming.

However, regardless of how tricky the year has been for Nigerian sports, certain individuals in the industry have managed to stand out leading by example with their impressive contributions to the growth and development of the sector.

This year, Pulse Sports Nigeria recognises the sportsmen and women whose sporting actions have most captured the Nigerian public and reflected the diaspora's imagination during 2022.

In no particular order, here are the Pulse Picks for the Top 10 Nigerian sports personalities of the year.

Tega Onojaife has since been blazing the trail for African women in sport. 

For an industry that is normally dominated by men in Nigeria, Tega is one of the most influential figures in Nigerian sports.

She has become a role model for young girls wanting to follow in her footsteps in sports broadcasting.

She is the founder of Ladies in Sports - an annual conference that aims to create opportunities for women in the industry, from journalists to administrators and even students. 

Tega’s determination to help the positive development of the female gender in Nigeria and even Africa, in general, is truly exemplary and noteworthy.

Earlier in 2021, Nigeria’s Wahid Enitan-Oshodi was re-appointed as the Chairman of the Nomination Committee of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) for another term of two years.

Enitan-Oshod, who is the Vice President of ITTF Africa Western Region, became the first Nigerian and African to chair the highest committee in the world tennis body.

His immense contributions to the growth of Tennis in Nigeria and Africa continue to be applauded by major stakeholders in the sector.

Widely regarded as Nigeria’s very own ‘Peter Drury’, Emmanuel Etim has taken sports commentary to another level in Nigeria and perhaps even Africa.

Etim is a sports broadcast Journalist who also functions as a real-time radio/tv commentator. He is also the voice behind the official commentary of Nigeria's apex footballing league, the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).

In addition to being a writer of anecdotes, Emmanuel Etim is one of the best things to happen in football commentary in West Africa.

Etim’s effervescence and eloquent broadcasting ooze class consistently, having previously been given the seal of approval by one of football’s all-time commentary greats.

Bukola Olopade's name has always been at the forefront of sports development in Ogun State. 

This has been largely down to his obsession with grassroots development and youth empowerment.

He is the founder of Nilayo Sports Limited, one of Nigeria’s highly rated sports companies and the organisers of the biggest marathon races in Nigeria, from Lagos Marathon to Abeokuta Marathon to the Abuja Marathon as well as a host of others.

Olopade’s contributions to the growth of grassroots sports and athletics are highly commendable.

Currently, no sports journalist in Nigeria consistently delves into the centre of controversy on social media other than Sulaiman Pooja Adebayo.

However, despite the incessant drags on social media over his opinions, Pooja is the 'ultimate' professional. 

His determination and grit to cover the biggest sporting showpieces around the globe have earned him a place as one of the best photojournalists in African sports.

Apart from being great with the camera, Pooja is also a respected punter on the Twitter market and has on various occasions in 2022 helped his followers smile to the bank with his betting tips.

Pooja is as influential as he tends to be controversial but nothing can take away the fact that he’s earned his stripes.

In 2021, Gbemisola Abudu was named the Vice President & Country Head of Nigeria, by NBA Africa.

Long before she assumed the role, Abudu was an accomplished entrepreneur, business leader, luxury marketing expert and social activist.

Abudu’s outstanding resume earned her the responsibility to develop one of the fast-growing leagues in the Nigerian sports sector, including grassroots programming for youth, elite player development as well as others.

With the future of basketball looking destined for greater things in Nigeria, Abudu ranks as one of Africa’s sportswomen of 2022.

Tunde Onakoya is a Nigerian chess master and the founder of Chess in Slums Africa.

He is popular for several interventions for children across slums in Lagos state including Majidun (Ikorodu), Makoko and recently, Oshodi. 

The children are engaged in a 2 week's session that seeks to unlock their potential through the game of chess while learning to read, write and acquire basic literacy skills.

Although Chess is arguably not regarded as a professional sport, Onakoya’s effort in 2022 has seen him take the game to an entirely different level with his outstanding initiative.

He has continued to receive the plaudits and deservedly so, having brought some popular personalities in the sport, including Manchester United legend Patrice Evra, as well as Canadian High commissioner Kevin Tokar.

This man needs no introduction. Mozez Praiz has established himself as one of the outstanding pioneers of sports broadcasting in Nigeria and Africa.

'The Greyboss' as he’s fondly called, continues to be an inspiration to the young generation of aspiring broadcasters, having set quite a reputable standard with his craft.

The popular SuperSport and Smooth F.M 98.1 host has covered the biggest sporting events on the planet in football from Africa’s apex footballing showpiece - Total Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to the greatest footballing tournament on the planet - the FIFA World Cup.

His exemplary presentation on the grandest of stages has been cited as the most impressive coupled with his classy grandeur on the airwaves.

The Greyboss has set the pace for a line of new-generation talents in sports broadcasting to follow as they continue their march to greatness. And oh...he's just as sleek as he is on the camera whenever he's on the red carpet.

Sola Aiyepeku is the current chairman of Lagos State Sports Commision (LSSC). He is a Chemical Engineering graduate of UNILAG with a substantive Banking background and a deep-rooted passion for sports that started in childhood. 

From drawing football comics to organizing neighbourhood football teams and tournaments, he developed into a seasoned sports marketer, administrator and astute manager. 

He has been at the forefront of Sports Marketing & Marketing, Club Administration, Publishing, conceptualization & organisation of Sports events in the Private Sector in Nigeria.

This year, under his watch, the Lagos State Sports Commision (LSSC) has launched sports programmes that will raise the next set of Nigerian stars. 

One of such programme is the Lagos State School Sports Interrogation Programme (LASSIP), which is aimed at Secondary Schools.

Being the chairman of the Lagos Stae Sports commission, he was instrumental in bringing back the Super Eagles to Lagos in 2021.

This is another man that needs no introduction. Kunle Soname is is a business mogul, philanthropist, football club owner and founder of the popular BookMaker Bet9ja.

He is the biggest private investor in Nigeria’s Sports Sector and the only Nigerian to own three thriving football clubs.

He is also the president of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) team, Remo Stars Football Club, and in 2015, he became the first Nigerian to own a top European football club by buying Portuguese second-division side, Clube Desportivo Feirense.

Soname is one of the most influential personalities in Nigerian sports.

His contributions to the development of sport in Nigeria have been largely applauded as he continues to be a trailblazer in sports administration in Africa.