Nigeria Confirmed as Host of 2026 CAF Awards and 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly

Nigeria will host the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards ceremony and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly, following confirmation from Nigerian and CAF officials. The hosting rights were secured after discussions at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe were both in attendance.

According to reports, President Tinubu approved Nigeria’s bid to host both events following direct engagement with CAF leadership during the summit. The confirmation was attended by several senior officials from both sides, underlining the significance attached to the announcement.

Among those present at the meeting were CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria Football Federation President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, and CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.

The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled for October 2026. The annual gathering is regarded as one of the most consequential meetings in African football administration, bringing together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives from the continent’s six zonal unions, and senior football administrators. Agenda items at such assemblies typically cover football development, governance structures, competition formats, financial matters, and the broader strategic direction of the sport across Africa.

The CAF Awards, held annually, recognise the continent’s most outstanding players, coaches, clubs, and football personalities from the preceding year. The ceremony consistently attracts significant attention across Africa and serves as a platform to spotlight the growth of the game on the continent. Nigeria’s Super Falcons coach Justin Madugu was among those in the spotlight surrounding recent CAF Awards discourse, having publicly responded to what was described as a snub in the women’s coaching category.

Nigeria’s hosting of these two events marks a notable moment for the country’s football administration. The Nigeria Football Federation, under President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has been working to raise the country’s profile within CAF structures. Hosting both the General Assembly and the Awards ceremony in the same calendar year positions Nigeria as a central figure in continental football governance heading into a busy period that includes preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana are scheduled to co-host.

CAF, headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, oversees football across 54 member associations. The Ordinary General Assembly serves as the organisation’s principal decision-making forum, with resolutions passed at such meetings shaping the direction of African football policy and competition administration for the years ahead. The October 2026 assembly is expected to address several ongoing governance and development priorities across the confederation.

No venue within Nigeria has been officially confirmed for either event at this stage.