Nigeria Takes The Crown — The CAF Awards Are Coming Home
After Four Years In Morocco, African Football’s Biggest Night Is Heading To The Giant Of Africa.
Nigeria will officially host both the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly and the 2026 CAF Awards, after President Bola Tinubu approved the organisation of both major African football events.
The deal was finalised at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, following direct negotiations between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe. Also present at the meeting were Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, former NFF president and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Pinnick, and CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
The schedule — Two cities, Two events
The 48th CAF General Assembly will convene in Abuja in October 2026, while the CAF Awards gala will light up Lagos in December 2026.
The timing of Lagos hosting the awards couldn’t be more perfect — the December date fits right into Nigeria’s beloved end-of-year “Detty December” festivities. African football’s Oscars meets Africa’s biggest party.
The end of Morocco’s reign
Morocco had become the regular home of the ceremony, hosting multiple editions in Rabat and Marrakesh for four consecutive years, starting in 2022 and running through 2025. The most recent edition, held in Rabat in November 2025, saw the host nation dominate the podium — with Achraf Hakimi crowned African Men’s Player of the Year after guiding PSG to both the UEFA Champions League title and Ligue 1 trophy.
Nigeria’s rich hosting history
This will be the first time since 2017 that Nigeria hosts the CAF Awards. The country previously hosted in 2008, 2013, 2015, and 2017 — in cities such as Abuja and Lagos.
And Nigerian football has had plenty to celebrate at those ceremonies. Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman won the men’s African Footballer of the Year titles in 2023 and 2024, while Asisat Oshoala secured the women’s crown in 2023, extending her record to six titles. Could a Nigerian star finally lift the trophy on home soil in December?
The bigger picture
The announcement is being viewed as another sign of Nigeria’s growing influence inside CAF and African football governance. Both events are also expected to bring major international visibility, tourism, and commercial activity to Nigeria, with delegations and media expected from across the continent.
The Giant Of Africa Is Back At The Head Of The Table. Lagos, Get Ready.