Nigeria’s successful bid to host a major African sporting championship in 2028 was built on years of experience organising international competitions and a determination to expand hosting opportunities across the continent, according to Adesoji Tayo, Sports247.ng reports.
Speaking after Nigeria emerged ahead of Tunisia in the bidding process, Tayo acknowledged that securing the hosting rights was far from straightforward, describing the North African country as a formidable opponent.
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“It wasn’t easy, and we are Nigeria. And when Nigeria bids, it’s like the whole of Africa is bidding,” he said.
“But we had a formidable opponent in Tunisia.”
Tayo explained that Nigeria’s record of staging competitions since 2014 provided a strong foundation for its presentation to decision-makers.
“What worked for us is the fact that we’ve hosted quite some competitions in the past. Since 2014, we’ve had classics. Last year, we hosted five back-to-back,” he said.
He revealed that Tunisia had also pushed strongly to stage the 2028 event, making Nigeria’s previous hosting experience and argument for geographical balance particularly important.
Tayo pointed out that Tunisia had recently hosted the championship and questioned whether the same region should continue to dominate the organisation of major continental events.
“This year, we are in Morocco. Next year, we’ll be in Algeria. Is it only one region that should be hosting the senior?” he asked.
He also stressed that Nigeria had not previously hosted the championship in the western part of the continent, a point he said strengthened the country’s case.
“We’ve never hosted it in the southwest, in the western part, and so that helped my pitching,” he explained.
Reflecting on the outcome, Tayo expressed gratitude that Nigeria’s efforts had been rewarded.
“We thank God we made it,” he concluded.
The successful bid represents an opportunity for Nigeria to build on its international hosting experience while bringing another major continental competition to West Africa.
