Lagos State has declared its readiness to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledging that the state will deliver a world-class ceremony celebrating the continent’s finest football talents.

The assurance followed an inspection visit by a five-man CAF delegation to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, better known as the National Theatre, which has been designated as the venue for the awards gala.

The CAF team, in Nigeria to assess facilities for both the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly and the awards ceremony, is led by Dr Christian Emeruwa, CAF’s Head of Safety and Security. Other members are Mohammed Bakeer, in charge of technology, Inas Ahmed, overseeing travel and accommodation, Salah Mostafa, responsible for transport, and branding specialist Hervé Dassoundo.

They were received in Lagos by officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission, led by Director-General Lekan Fatodu, who conducted them around the refurbished National Theatre complex and its surrounding infrastructure.

Sanwo-Olu, in a message after the visit, said Lagos was treating the assignment as an opportunity to showcase both the city and Nigerian football on a continental stage. He noted that the state government had taken CAF’s technical feedback on board and was fine-tuning logistics, security, hospitality and event presentation.

Hosting an event of this magnitude, he stressed, demands meticulous planning, from crowd management and transport to broadcast technology and branding. The governor said Lagos was determined to meet CAF’s benchmarks and “put on a brilliant show for African football.”

Nigeria has a rich history with the CAF Awards, having hosted the ceremony four times, with Lagos staging the most recent edition in 2015. The 2026 programme will again split activities between the federal capital and the commercial hub: Abuja is scheduled to host the CAF General Assembly, while Lagos will roll out the red carpet for the awards night.

Before arriving in Lagos, the CAF delegation inspected facilities at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, earmarked for the Congress, and the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. They were accompanied by a Nigeria Football Federation team including senior officials from media, marketing, security, protocol and ICT.

Nigeria’s bid to host both the General Assembly and the awards was endorsed by President Bola Tinubu after a request from CAF President Patrice Motsepe, positioning the country at the heart of African football’s calendar in 2026.