NIGERIAN National Legacy Awards (NNLA), established 2010, has opened 2025 nominations under new corporate identity, the Nigerian Industry Standards Awards (NISA).

Announcing this year’s nominations in Abuja, Dr. Ovie Odubu, Executive Secretary, said the new identity for the annual excellence awards is to redefine the body’s growing commitment to stimulating nation building through recognition of excellence across Nigeria’s professional and industrial landscape.

Addressing stakeholders on the renewed zeal and future directions for the institution, Dr. Odubu explained, “Far more than a cosmetic rebranding, the name change is a fundamental shift in purpose and philosophy.

“While the former NNLA focused on recognising long-standing contributions and achievements, NISA is now anchored on the principle of celebrating those actively setting pace in various fields through measurable impact, innovation and establishment of standards worthy of emulation.

“We want to spotlight those who are not just contributing, but transforming. As part of this evolution, the Nigerian Industry Standards Awards has officially opened its 2025 nomination window.

“Members of the public, professional organizations and stakeholders across sectors are encouraged to submit nominations for individuals and organizations that exemplify excellence and uphold high standards within their industries.

“Nominations can be submitted through the official NISA nomination portal at www.nisahq.com. Nomination and selection remains guided by established integrity, transparency in rigorous evaluation framework to ensure only the most deserving are recognized.”

In departure from the tradition, NISA also announced the awards would no longer feature conventional award nights, gala dinners or stage ceremonies as recipients would now be presented their plaques directly at their workplaces, operational bases or offices.

This decision, according to Dr. Odubu, is rooted in the belief that recognition should occur in the very environment where the impact is being made.

He added, “We are not interested in the glamour of spotlights and red carpets. We are interested in substance. We want to go where the work is being done — the boardroom, the factory floor, the clinic, the newsroom, the classroom. That’s where real excellence lives.

“This new, forward thinking is that this personalized approach also allows for deeper and more authentic celebration, involving the colleagues, teams, and communities often integral to an individual’s success.

“By presenting awards in these settings, NISA hopes to foster a culture of grounded recognition that moves beyond performance and pageantry and toward purposeful acknowledgment”

Stakeholders commended the vision of the awards with Dr Odubu reaffirming commitment to the its sustenance to become the torchbearer for meaningful, authentic and impactful excellence recognition in Nigeria.

He further stated, “This is not just a name change. It is a cultural shift. A shift from spectacle to sincerity, from legacy to standards, from celebration to elevation. We are here to redefine what it means to be truly excellent.

“With launch of the 2025 nominations and a new philosophy guiding its operations, the Nigerian Industry Standards Awards is poised to set new national benchmark in excellence recognition, not in halls of glamour, but in the trenches of real work, real value, and real leadership.”