President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday held a bilateral meeting with Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.
The high-level meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between African governments, football institutions and the private sector as part of broader efforts to drive development across Nigeria and the continent.
Deliberation in Kenya at the Africa forward summit. Photocredit: CAFOnline FB
CAF confirmed the meeting in a statement shared on its official Facebook platform alongside photographs from the engagement.
“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,” CAF stated.
“They discussed several topics, particularly cooperation between the government, football and the private sector in Nigeria and in Africa.”
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Why the meeting matters
The meeting comes at a significant moment for African football and regional development, with Motsepe currently involved in discussions surrounding preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The tournament will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania under the “Pamoja” initiative, making it one of the biggest sporting projects currently underway on the continent.
Motsepe is expected to address the Africa Forward Summit as part of wider conversations on economic growth, innovation and cross-sector partnerships in Africa.
The CAF president has also been meeting government officials and football stakeholders from several African countries during his stay in Nairobi.
President Bola Tinubu, CAF president Patrice Motsepe, Officials met in Nairobi during the Africa Forward Summit, with discussions centred on football development, private sector collaboration and Africa’s sporting future.
Tinubu arrived in Kenya on Monday for the summit, marking his second visit to the East African nation since assuming office in July 2023.
According to the Nigerian Presidency, the Kenya trip forms the second leg of a three-country diplomatic and economic tour that began in France.
During his visit to France, Tinubu met international investors and reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to fiscal discipline, economic reforms and investment-friendly policies.
The Africa-France Summit in Nairobi, co-chaired by Emmanuel Macron and William Ruto, runs from May 11 to May 12.
This year’s summit is themed “Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth.”
Key discussions at the event include:
- Energy transition
- Green industrialization
- Digital transformation
- Climate action
- Reform of global financing systems
Tinubu is also expected to hold separate meetings with leading African and international business executives during the summit.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu (President of Nigeria) and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu during the 2026 Africa Forward Summit at KICC, Nairobi. Photocredit: CAFOnline FB
After concluding his engagements in Nairobi, Tinubu is scheduled to travel to Rwanda for the annual Africa CEO Forum taking place in Kigali from May 14 to 15.
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The Nigerian leader is expected to return home after the Rwanda visit ahead of the All Progressives Congress presidential primary slated for May 23.
