Shettima tasks new CAF Scribe to protect Nigeria’s interests

Vice President Kashim Shettima has charged the newly appointed General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Samson Adamu, to protect Nigeria’s interests while advancing the development of football across the continent.

Shettima delivered the directive when he received the new CAF administrator at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Adamu, the first Nigerian to hold the position in CAF’s 70-year history, visited the Presidential Villa alongside a delegation led by the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Malam Shehu Dikko. Adamu assumed office on Sunday, November 1, after a recruitment exercise by the continental football governing body.

Conveying President Bola Tinubu’s official goodwill message, the Vice President urged the new CAF scribe to execute his duties with integrity, diligence, and national pride.

A statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President stated that:

“The President is proud of you, Samson Adamu. Go and do a yeoman’s job. Go and promote, protect, project and preserve the interest of the Nigerian nation”.

Shettima reiterated that football remains one of Nigeria’s strongest instruments of national cohesion. He acknowledged that the sport consistently unites citizens across ethnic, religious, and political divides, superseding individual differences.

He also commended the efforts of local coaches, scouts, and administrators who discovered and nurtured national legends like Rashidi Yekini, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, and Finidi George.

Meanwhile, the NSC Chairman described the appointment as an achievement that reinforces the growing influence of Nigeria in international sports administration.

Dikko also commended the Federal Government for securing the hosting rights for the upcoming CAF General Assembly and the CAF Awards, scheduled for November and December 2026, respectively.

Adamu expressed profound gratitude to the Federal Government for its backing. The former CAF Director of Competitions pledged to deploy his experience to strengthen the body’s day-to-day administration and maximise Nigeria’s abundant football talent on the global stage.