The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has engaged the leadership of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Nigeria’s preparations to host the 2026 CAF Ordinary General Assembly in Abuja and the 2026 CAF Awards in Lagos.

The engagement took place on Friday, October 9, on the sidelines of the CAF Executive Committee meeting during the CAF Strategy Conference in Sal, Cabo Verde.

Dikko made presentations to CAF President Patrice Motsepe, General Secretary Samson Adamu and the president’s Special Adviser, Amaju Melvin Pinnick, on preparations for the two major football events scheduled to take place in Nigeria later this year.

Nigeria is scheduled to host the CAF Ordinary General Assembly on November 21 in Abuja, while the 2026 CAF Awards will take place in Lagos on December 7.  

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had earlier approved Nigeria’s readiness to host the events during a meeting with Motsepe on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, in May 2026. CAF subsequently awarded Nigeria the hosting rights.

According to the NSC, preparations have continued through engagements with CAF officials on organisational requirements, venue readiness, transportation and accommodation arrangements.

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly is expected to attract presidents and general secretaries of the confederation’s 54 member associations, alongside CAF officials, international delegates and other football stakeholders.

The Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja has been designated as the venue for the assembly, while the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, in Lagos will host the awards ceremony.

The CAF General Assembly is the governing body’s highest decision-making forum, bringing together representatives of member associations to deliberate on major issues affecting African football.  

The CAF Awards, meanwhile, recognise outstanding performances and achievements across African football, including honours for players, coaches, national teams and clubs.

Dikko’s participation in the strategy conference provided an opportunity to discuss Nigeria’s preparations directly with CAF leadership and reaffirm the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering successful events.

The NSC chairman was accompanied by the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, who is coordinating inter-agency collaboration for the events, and TMPL Chairman Saleh Amadu, representing private-sector support for the projects.

The Federal Government is positioning the two events as opportunities to promote Nigeria’s sporting profile, strengthen relationships with football stakeholders across Africa and showcase the country’s capacity to host major international gatherings.

Beyond football administration, the events are expected to create opportunities for hospitality, transportation, tourism, cultural exchange and private-sector participation.

The hosting arrangements also align with the government’s broader ambition to use sports as a driver of economic activity, investment and employment under the Renewed Hope Initiative for Nigeria’s Sports Economy (RHINSE).

With the dates and proposed venues established, continued coordination between the Federal Government, CAF, the Nigeria Football Federation and private-sector partners will be central to ensuring that Nigeria delivers both events successfully.