By Samuel Akpan
Vice President Kashim Shettima has affirmed that Nigeria possesses the requisite expertise to occupy premier sports leadership positions worldwide, citing the landmark appointment of Samson Adamu as General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Receiving Adamu alongside a delegation from the National Sports Commission—led by Chairman Malam Shehu Dikko—at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Vice President Shettima extended his congratulations and urged the new chief executive to lead by example.
He emphasized that the country has truly earned its standing in international sports governance.
“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,” Shettima stated.
He described Adamu as a role model for young Nigerians and charged him to work with diligence, integrity and national pride.
Conveying President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill, the Vice President told Adamu: “The President is proud of you Samson Adamu. Go and do a yo-man’s job. Go and promote, protect and project and preserve the interest of the Nigerian nation.”
He wished him success in the new role.
Shettima noted that football unites Nigerians beyond other identities.
“Anytime Nigeria plays, it tends to subsume all other identities. Football and sports generally is a source of unity for our country. What binds us together superseded whatever divides us,” he noted, adding that Nigeria’s diversity remains a source of strength.
He praised the often-overlooked work of officials, coaches, scouts and administrators who prepare talents for success.
“The minds that organize, the hands that prepare and the institutions that give talents a fighting chance, are always not recognized,” Shettima said, recalling legends such as Rashidi Yekini, Jay-Jay Okocha and Finidi George.
NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko thanked President Tinubu and the Federal Government for backing sports development, which has raised Nigeria’s global profile and drawn investment.
He hailed Adamu’s appointment as a milestone and welcomed approval for Nigeria to host the CAF General Assembly and CAF Awards in November and December 2026.
Adamu, appointed on Sunday, 1 November, after a recruitment exercise, thanked the government and called his elevation the first by a Nigerian in CAF’s 70-year history a moment of national pride.
He pledged to use his experience as former CAF Director of Competitions to strengthen administration and advance African football while supporting Nigeria’s talent pipeline.
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