Vice President Kashim Shettima has received Samson Adamu, the first Nigerian appointed CAF General Secretary, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday received Samson Adamu, the first Nigerian to be confirmed as General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Adamu was accompanied by a delegation led by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko. Shettima said the appointment showed that Nigerians can lead in world sport and conveyed the goodwill of President Bola Tinubu.
What Shettima told Samson Adamu
“Nigerians possess the talent and capacity to occupy leadership positions in global sports. Our nation has its place in the world of sports,” Shettima said.
He urged Adamu: “Go and do yo-man’s job. Go and promote, protect, project and preserve the interest of the Nigerian nation.”
Adamu thanked the Federal Government for its support and described his appointment as a source of national pride.
What the NSC says about Samson Adamu’s appointment
Dikko congratulated Adamu and said Nigeria now has one of its own in a leading position at CAF. He called the appointment “a significant milestone for the Nigerian sports administration and for national development”.
“Also we are particularly happy to have one of our own to occupy such a prestigious CAF office. This is of great benefit to us as a commission and a nation in general,” he said.
NSC Director-General Bukola Olopade said Nigeria has a pool of administrative and sporting talent. “This is a monumental achievement for us as a commission as we are implementing our reform agenda to turn around Nigerian sports in line with the Renewed Hope initiative,” she said.
“I have no doubt because Adamu has a rich background and a profound wealth of experience to make Nigeria proud. We will support him to achieve great results,” she added.
Samson Adamu and the CAF events in Nigeria
CAF announced the appointment on Sunday, 1 November, after a recruitment process. Some reports date the CAF Executive Committee’s decision to 29 October. Adamu is the first Nigerian to hold the post since CAF was founded in 1957. He had been acting General Secretary since 29 March 2026, after Véron Mosengo-Omba resigned. He joined CAF in 2018 as Director of Competitions and later served as Director of Tournaments and Events.
Dikko thanked the Federal Government for approving Nigeria’s hosting of two CAF events. The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled for 21 November at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre in Abuja. The CAF Awards will be held in Lagos on 7 December.
