KEY POINTS

• President Tinubu approved Nigeria’s bid to host the 2026 CAF Awards and CAF General Assembly.
• The announcement followed a meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe in Nairobi, Kenya.
• The events would bring together African football leaders, players and stakeholders from all 54 CAF member nations.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s bid to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football, CAF, Awards ceremony as well as CAF’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly.

The approval was disclosed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, after a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe.

Other top officials present at the meeting included Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, former NFF President Amaju Pinnick, who currently serves as special adviser to the CAF president, and CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.

Nigeria Eyes Major African Football Events

The proposed hosting rights would see Nigeria stage two of African football’s biggest gatherings in 2026.

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled to hold in October, brings together presidents of CAF’s 54 member football associations, representatives of zonal unions and key football administrators from across the continent.

The event is regarded as one of CAF’s most important annual meetings, where major decisions concerning African football are discussed and adopted.

The CAF Awards ceremony is one of the continent’s flagship football events, celebrating outstanding achievements by players, coaches, national teams and football stakeholders across Africa.

The annual event attracts top football stars, administrators and global sports stakeholders, while also showcasing the host nation to an international audience.

The approval was announced during the Africa Forward Summit taking place in Nairobi, Kenya, where African leaders and sports administrators are discussing development initiatives across the continent.

Nigeria’s move to host the events is seen as part of efforts to strengthen its influence in African football administration and international sports hosting.