Former Super Eagles Media Officer, Ibitoye Honoured as 2025 FUBS Personality of the Year
Becomes Seventh Recipient of Award
Respected sports journalist Oluwatoyin Ibitoye has been officially presented with the 2025 Family United by Sport (FUBS) Personality of the Year Award.
The ceremony took place on Monday at the HotSports Studios in Lagos, with sports entrepreneur Taye Ige serving as chief host.
The event drew a distinguished audience of sports stakeholders, colleagues, friends, and family members, all gathered to celebrate Ibitoye, who previously served as the Super Eagles Media Officer and as an aide to the Sports Minister.
The Chairman of the FUBS Personality of the Year Electoral Committee, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, explained the transparent voting process, which involved more than 300 members worldwide, including former sports ministers, Directors General of the sports ministry, federation presidents, editors, and managers.
He noted that Ibitoye emerged from a close contest, meeting all the criteria required to be named Personality of the Year.
In his remarks, HotSports CEO Taye Ige praised both FUBS Chief Administrator Godwin Enakhena and Ibitoye, describing them as individuals he would always honour.
Enakhena, meanwhile, urged journalists to uphold integrity in their reporting, stressing the importance of evaluating administrators individually rather than generalising them as corrupt.
Ibitoye, who attended alongside his wife Tola, expressed gratitude for the recognition, acknowledging the calibre of those he contested against.
He reflected on the lessons of openness and collaboration in sports administration, remarking that adversaries in minor disputes may later become allies in more significant matters. He also thanked God and the wider sports community for the opportunities that shaped his career.
In addition to the commemorative plaque, Ibitoye received a ₦250,000 cash prize and a return flight ticket to Abuja courtesy of Value Jet Airlines.
Ibitoye becomes the seventh recipient of the prestigious award, joining a distinguished list of past winners: the late Dapo Sotuminu (2018), Mallam Shehu (2019), Abba Yola (2020), Chris Emeruwa (2021), Daniel Igali (2022), Liameed Gafar (2023).
The award was rested in 2024 in honour of Sotuminu, before resuming this year with Ibitoye’s recognition.
