PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s plan to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.

The approval was granted during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, after Tinubu met with CAF President Patrice Motsepe, according to a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on Tuesday.

Consequently, Nigeria will take over from Morocco which has hosted the awards consecutively for the past three years if the bid sails through.

Among those present at the meeting were Minister of Foreign Affairs, 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 NFF said the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly was scheduled to hold in October this year and would attract leading football administrators and officials from Africa.

“The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has approved Nigeria’s proposed hosting of the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football, as well as this year’s CAF Awards Ceremony,” the statement read.

“The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly will take place in October this year,” it added.

The gathering is expected to bring together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions, and top football stakeholders on the continent.

The CAF Awards is regarded as one of the biggest events in African football, recognising outstanding players, coaches, and other personalities who have made significant contributions to the sport.