AFCON 2025
President Bola Tinubu has held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Patrice Motsepe, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi.
The meeting took place on Tuesday and focused on the role of football in driving development, economic growth and youth empowerment across Africa.
According to Confederation of African Football, discussions centred on strengthening collaboration between governments, football stakeholders and the private sector in Nigeria and across the continent.
In a statement shared on its official X account, CAF said the meeting addressed “cooperation between the government, football, and the private sector in Nigeria and in Africa.”
The football body also released photographs showing both leaders in discussions during the summit.
“CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe and the Nigerian Head of State, His Excellency Bola Tinubu, met today on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi. They discussed several topics, particularly cooperation between the government, football, and the private sector in Nigeria and in Africa.” CAF wrote on their X page
The Africa Forward Summit has brought together political leaders, investors and business executives from across Africa to discuss innovation, sustainable development and economic transformation on the continent.
Motsepe is expected to play a major role in conversations surrounding the future of African football, particularly as preparations continue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The meeting also reflects renewed interest in using sports development as a tool for economic growth and youth engagement in Nigeria and across Africa.
President Tinubu’s participation at the summit forms part of his ongoing diplomatic and economic engagements across Europe and Africa.
According to the Presidency, the Nairobi summit, co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron and William Ruto, is focused on issues including climate action, energy transition, digital transformation and financial reform.
Tinubu is also expected to meet global investors and African business leaders before travelling to Kigali for the Africa CEO Forum.
