The December 7 ceremony will be staged at the Wole Soyinka Centre, with CAF's General Assembly in Abuja on November 21.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has pledged the state's full support for the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards, due in Lagos on December 7. He made the assurance on Sunday, October 18, while receiving a CAF delegation at Lagos House, Marina.
The delegation was led by Dr Christian Emeruwa, CAF's Project Lead for the CAF Awards and CAF General Assembly. Emeruwa told the governor that the team was in Nigeria for a five-day mission to inspect proposed venues and assess preparations for the awards in Lagos and the General Assembly in Abuja.
In a post, Sanwo-Olu said he had assured the delegation of "our full support, with particular attention to security, logistics, branding and venue access."
Sanwo-Olu's post opened with the news itself:
"Lagos is pleased to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards this December and we are committed to making it a memorable experience."
The governor described Lagos as "a city of talent, culture, enterprise and youthful energy". He said the ceremony would show off the state's hospitality and its ability to host major international events.
Emeruwa asked the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) to support publicity and branding across the state. He also asked the state government to lead security operations for the ceremony, working alongside CAF's own security team.
The ceremony is scheduled for the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu. Emeruwa said it would draw prominent figures from African and international football, including representatives of FIFA.
The men's and women's Player of the Year honours have gone to Nigerians on several occasions. In 2023, Victor Osimhen claimed the men's prize, and Ademola Lookman took it in 2024. At the 2024 ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, the Super Falcons were named Women's National Team of the Year, while goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie won Women's Goalkeeper of the Year.
The last time Lagos staged the CAF Awards was January 2015, when the ceremony recognised achievements from the 2014 season. Locals have voiced unease about potholes and bad roads close to the venue.
Slated for 21 November, the General Assembly will meet in Abuja at the International Conference Centre named for Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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