President Bola Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s bid to host the 2026 CAF Awards, as the country intensifies efforts to stage two major African football events.

The approval was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation, which also revealed that Tinubu endorsed Nigeria’s proposal to host the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly later this year.

The president announced the decisions during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi after meeting with Patrice Motsepe, president of the Confederation of African Football.

Also present at the meeting were Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; acting CAF General Secretary Samson Adamu; NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, and former NFF president, Amaju Pinnick.

READ ALSO: CAF Confirms Date For 2027 AFCON

Scheduled for October, the CAF Ordinary General Assembly will bring together key stakeholders in African football, including leaders of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of its six zonal unions, and senior football administrators from across the continent.

The CAF Awards remain one of African football’s biggest annual events, celebrating outstanding players, coaches, and football contributors across the continent.

Nigeria last hosted the ceremony on January 6, 2017, when Riyad Mahrez claimed the men’s Player of the Year award, while Asisat Oshoala won the women’s category.

The 2025 CAF Awards ceremony was held in Rabat, Morocco, with Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Ghizlane Chebbak winning the African Footballer of the Year awards in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman won the men’s African Footballer of the Year award in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Asisat Oshoala also claimed the women’s award in 2023, extending her record to six titles.

CAF is expected to announce the final host city for both events in the coming months.

The organisation began handing out the African Player of the Year prize in 1992, with Ghana’s Abedi Pele being the first winner.

In 2000, CAF began the awards ceremony, which includes categories like National Team of the Year, Women’s Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year.

The first Nigerian to win the award was Rashidi Yekini, while Mercy Akide, also of Nigeria, claimed the maiden women’s prize in 2001.

CAF Confirms Date for AFCON

Meanwhile, the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will be played between June 19 and July 17, the African Federation (CAF) said without revealing which of Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania will host the opener or the final.

The dates were approved by the FIFA Council in Vancouver, Canada, after fears the countries would fail to be ready were quelled by CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who fought off a delay to 2028.

“We have worked hard to ensure that the AFCON is held in East Africa, and our commitment remains unwavering. I am confident that we will organise a very successful AFCON in these three countries”, Motsepe said.

This edition of the AFCON, the first spread over three countries, will mark the return of the competition to East Africa for the first time since the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.