Nigeria will host the 2026 Congress and Awards ceremony of the Confederation of African Football after Bola Ahmed Tinubu accepted the request for the country to stage the major continental football events next year.
The announcement was made by the Nigeria Football Federation, which said the President gave his approval during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi following a high-level meeting with CAF President Patrice Motsepe and other top football administrators.
According to the federation, the hosting arrangement covers the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of CAF as well as the 2026 CAF Awards scheduled for October.
The event is expected to attract leading football officials from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior executives shaping the future of African football.
The meeting where the decision was sealed was attended by several notable Nigerian and African football figures, including Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former federation boss Amaju Pinnick, and CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Hosting the congress and awards is seen as a significant boost for Nigeria’s standing in African football administration.
The CAF General Assembly is one of the most important annual gatherings in the continent’s football calendar, where key decisions on competitions, governance and development strategies are discussed.
The CAF Awards ceremony, usually held shortly after the congress, celebrates outstanding performances by players, coaches, clubs and national teams across Africa. It is one of the most prestigious football events on the continent and often draws international attention.
For Nigeria, the hosting rights represent both a diplomatic and sporting milestone, reinforcing the country’s influence within African football circles. It also signals renewed efforts by the current administration to position the country as a destination for major international sporting events.
