Nigeria has been confirmed as the host for both the 2026 CAF Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly. The deal was finalized during direct negotiations between President Bola Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The announcement ends Morocco’s four-year stretch as the home of African football’s most prestigious ceremonies.
The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly will take place in Abuja in October 2026. The gathering brings together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations and representatives of six zonal unions. Moreover, it includes senior football administrators from across the continent.
The CAF Awards gala will light up Lagos in December 2026. The city’s Eko Hotels and Suites has a history of hosting major continental events. Furthermore, the December date promises a festive atmosphere for African football’s night of nights.
A welcome return after nearly a decade
Nigeria last hosted the CAF Awards in January 2017, when the 2016 edition was held in Abuja. That night, Riyad Mahrez won the men’s player of the year award. Meanwhile, Asisat Oshoala claimed the women’s prize on home soil.
The country has now hosted the awards six times since their debut in 1992. Previous editions were held in Lagos in 2008 and 2013, and in Abuja in 2015 and 2017.
The hosting rights are seen as a step in Nigeria’s bid to re-establish itself as a major hub for African football events. The Nigeria Football Federation has also hinted at future ambitions. For example, these ambitions include potential bids for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision is a major statement about Nigeria’s growing profile in international sports administration. For a nation that has produced back-to-back African men’s players of the year, the return of the awards to Nigerian soil feels fitting.
