Segun James
Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has pledged the government’s full support for the successful hosting of the prestigious 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards in Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu assured a CAF delegation visiting Lagos that key arrangements, including security, logistics, branding and venue access, would receive the necessary attention, even as he gave the assurance while receiving the delegation, led by the Project Lead for the CAF Awards and CAF General Assembly, Dr. Christian Emeruwa, during a courtesy visit at Lagos House, Marina, on Sunday.
The Governor described Lagos as a major commercial, cultural, entertainment and technology hub in Africa, highlighting its diversity, youthful population and economic significance as key assets for hosting international events.
He said Lagos had committed to giving CAF officials, football stakeholders and international visitors a positive experience, adding that the event would provide an opportunity to showcase the state’s hospitality and capacity to host major international engagements.
Speaking earlier, Emeruwa said the CAF delegation was in Nigeria for a five-day mission to inspect proposed venues and assess preparations for the CAF Awards in Lagos and the CAF General Assembly in Abuja.
He described the CAF Awards as one of the continent’s major annual non-competitive football events, recognising outstanding players, officials and national teams for their achievements during the year under review.
The CAF Project lead noted that the December 7 ceremony would attract prominent figures in African and international football, including representatives of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), as well as other international guests.
Emeruwa called for support from the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) to facilitate publicity and branding across the state.
He also requested that security operations concerning the awards ceremony be led by the Lagos State Government, in co-ordination with CAF’s security team.