Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed confidence in the state’s readiness to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards after a CAF inspection team assessed the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, popularly known as the National Theatre, the venue designated for the ceremony.
The five-member CAF delegation arrived in Nigeria on Thursday, July 30, 2026, to inspect facilities proposed for the organisation’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly and the 2026 CAF Awards.
The delegation is led by CAF’s Head of Safety and Security, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, and includes Mohammed Bakeer (Technology), Inas Ahmed (Travel and Accommodation), Salah Mostafa (Transport) and Hervé Dassoundo (Branding).
The officials were received on Monday, August 3, 2026, by representatives of the Lagos State Sports Commission, led by its Director General, Lekan Fatodu, during an inspection of the National Theatre in Iganmu.
In a post on X on Monday, August 3, 2026, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos was fully committed to delivering a successful event.
“We guided them through the venue and gathered their feedback. Hosting an event of this scale means every single detail counts and our team is working hard behind the scenes to make sure we get it right,” the governor said.
“Lagos is ready and we look forward to putting on a brilliant show for African football.”
Nigeria has hosted the CAF Awards on four previous occasions, with Lagos staging the most recent edition in January 2015.
While Abuja will host the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly on November 21, 2026, Lagos will host the CAF Awards, where the continent’s outstanding footballers and other top performers will be honoured.
Before arriving in Lagos, the CAF delegation inspected facilities at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Friday, July 31, 2026. The team also visited the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, the venue for the General Assembly, and the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The inspection tour is being coordinated by a five-member delegation from the Nigeria Football Federation comprising Director of Media and Communications, Dr. Ademola Olajire; Director of Marketing, Alizor Chuks; Head of Security, Barnabas Joro; Chief Protocol Officer, Emmanuel Ayanbunmi; and Head of ICT, Tasiu Riskuwa Shehu.
President Bola Tinubu approved Nigeria’s hosting of the CAF General Assembly and the 2026 CAF Awards in June 2026 during the Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, following a request by CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
