Lagos Prepares for 2026 CAF Awards
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announced that the state is fully ready to host the upcoming CAF Awards after a delegation from the Confederation of African Football completed an inspection of the selected venues.
The five‑member CAF team arrived in Nigeria last Thursday to evaluate preparations for both the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly and the annual CAF Awards. Led by Dr Christian Emeruwa, CAF Head of Safety and Security, the delegation visited the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts – popularly known as the National Theatre – on Monday, August 4.
Accompanying Dr Emeruwa were Mohammed Bakeer (Technology), Inas Ahmed (Travel and Accommodation), Salah Mostafa (Transport) and Hervé Dassoundo (Branding). They were received by officials from the Lagos State Sports Commission, under the leadership of Director‑General Lekan Fatodu.
Speaking after the tour, Governor Sanwo‑Olu expressed confidence that Lagos would stage a remarkable event.
“We walked them through the venue, noted their feedback, and our team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure every detail is perfect,” he wrote on his social platform. “Lagos is ready, and we look forward to delivering a brilliant showcase for African football.”
Nigeria has previously hosted the CAF Awards four times, with Lagos last holding the ceremony in January 2015. This year’s awards will return to Lagos, while Abuja is slated to host the CAF General Assembly on November 21, 2026.
Before arriving in Lagos, the CAF delegation inspected facilities in Abuja, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre (the venue for the General Assembly) and the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
The inspection exercise is supported by a five‑member team from the Nigeria Football Federation, comprising Dr Ademola Olajire (Media and Communications), Alizor Chuks (Marketing), Barnabas Joro (Security), Emmanuel Ayanbunmi (Protocol) and Tasiu Riskuwa Shehu (ICT).
Nigeria secured the hosting rights for both CAF events in June after President Bola Tinubu endorsed the request submitted by CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe during the Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
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