Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged Samson Adamu to safeguard Nigeria’s interests while helping to drive football development across Africa following his appointment as General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football.
Key takeaways
- Adamu becomes the first Nigerian to hold the CAF General Secretary role in the body’s 70-year history.
- Shettima asked the new CAF official to carry out his duties with integrity, commitment and national pride.
- Nigeria will stage the CAF General Assembly in November 2026 and the CAF Awards the following month.
- Adamu will be responsible for CAF’s daily administrative operations after his appointment on 1 November 2026.
Vice President highlights Nigeria’s sporting role
Shettima delivered the message at the State House in Abuja on Monday while receiving Adamu and a delegation headed by National Sports Commission chairman Malam Shehu Dikko. Passing on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s congratulations, the Vice President told Adamu to approach the assignment with diligence, honesty and a firm commitment to representing Nigeria well.
“The President is proud of you, Samson Adamu,” Shettima said. “Go and do a yeoman’s job. Go and promote, protect, project and preserve the interest of the Nigerian nation. Samson, I wish you all the best.”
He described the CAF appointment as an important achievement, saying Nigeria possessed the quality of people, technical knowledge and institutional strength required to produce administrators capable of succeeding at the highest level of world sport.
“Our nation has earned its place in the world of sports,” he said. “We have flown our flag in arenas where few expected us to perform magic, and we have made the impossible appear almost familiar, fundamentally because of the quality of our people.”
The Vice President said football remained among Nigeria’s most powerful forces for national unity, capable of bringing people together beyond ethnic, regional and other differences.
“Football especially is a uniting force in this country,” Shettima said. “Anytime Nigeria plays, it tends to subsume all other identities. Football and sports generally are sources of unity for our country. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us.”
Shettima also recognised the contributions of coaches, scouts, administrators and sporting institutions whose work often goes unnoticed despite helping Nigerian athletes succeed.
“The minds that organise, the hands that prepare and the institutions that give talents a fighting chance are often not recognised,” he said. “This is why, from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of my boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we appreciate you.”
Referring to Nigerian greats including Rashidi Yekini, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha and Finidi George, Shettima said their achievements were not solely the product of individual ability, but were also built on the efforts of those who identified, developed and supported them.
Adamu pledges to strengthen African football
Dikko said Adamu’s selection was a significant moment for Nigeria as it expands its influence within international sports governance. He praised President Tinubu’s backing for the sports sector, arguing that government policy was raising Nigeria’s sporting status and opening fresh avenues for investment.
The NSC chairman also welcomed Federal Government approval for Nigeria to host the CAF General Assembly in November 2026 and the CAF Awards in December 2026. He said both events would help establish the country as an attractive venue for high-profile competitions, commercial partnerships and sports investment.
Adamu thanked the Federal Government for its support and said becoming CAF General Secretary was both a privilege and a major obligation. He noted that he is the first Nigerian appointed to the post during CAF’s 70-year existence.
Having previously served as CAF Director of Competitions, Adamu said he would use his experience to improve the confederation’s administration and hasten the progress of football throughout Africa.
He also committed himself to supporting initiatives that develop Nigeria’s deep pool of football talent and enhance the nation’s position in African and global football.
CAF appointed Adamu on Sunday, 1 November 2026, after completing a recruitment process. In his new role, he will supervise the confederation’s day-to-day administration.
