President Bola Tinubu has consented to the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) proposal to hold the 2026 CAF Awards in Lagos.
Tinubu gave the football governing body the go ahead during his engagement with CAF President, Patrice Motsepe, at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday.
While pitching the idea to the Nigerian President, Motsepe held that hosting the event in Nigeria is one of the best decisions taken for the development of African football.
He thereafter disclosed initial suggestion of Abuja as the event’s venue in order to enable Tinubu attend the event.
Motsepe claimed to have insisted on holding the event in Lagos.
“It is one of the best things we can do for African football and of course Nigerian football because if Nigeria’s football succeeds and grows, all of us grows and succeed. It is our investment.
“So, we are planning to have our annual meeting of the 54 nations in Nigeria.
“They said we must go to Abuja because you are in Abuja, but I apologised and said I want it in Lagos.” The CAF President said.
He would be however be interrupted by Tinubu who declared the hosting of the event in Lagos a welcome idea.
“If you want it in Lagos, it can happen.” The President said.
The engagement between Tinubu and CAF President also had in attendance Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) President, Ibrahim Gusau; former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President, Amaju Pinnick; and CAF Acting General Secretary, Samson Adamu.
Meanwhile, the NFF in a statement issued on Tuesday announced that the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled to hold in October 2026 and will bring together top football administrators from across the continent.