Lagos has been chosen to host the 2028 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Africa Championships, giving Nigeria the opportunity to bring the continent’s top table tennis players together for one of the sport’s leading African competitions.
The decision emerged from a competitive ballot at the ITTF Africa annual general meeting in Tangier, Morocco, where Nigeria faced Tunisia for the hosting rights. Nigeria won with 23 votes against Tunisia’s 15, out of 38 certified votes. Thirty-one delegates attended physically, while seven voted by proxy.
Adesoji Tayo, President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), welcomed the decision and said the country would deliver a world-class tournament in Lagos. He credited the delegates for their confidence in Nigeria and pointed to the country’s experience organising major table tennis competitions.
“We want to thank all the delegates for putting their trust in Nigeria to host a befitting tournament in 2028 as well as the African Para Championships in 2027. As experienced organisers of major table tennis tournaments in the world, we are poised to deliver a seamless event that continues to attract more people to Nigeria,” Tayo said.
He further assured visitors that Lagos would be ready to receive the table tennis community in 2028.
“The city of Lagos will again witness the best of table tennis, and we assure all our visitors that Nigeria will be the place to be in 2028,” he added.
The hosting decision forms part of a schedule of African table tennis competitions. Nigeria will stage the African Para Championships in 2027, alongside Libya’s hosting of the Cup, Algeria’s organisation of the Championships and Botswana’s hosting of the Youth event.
In 2028, Rwanda will host the Youth event and Egypt will stage the Para Championships. The host of the Cup for that year has not yet been decided.
With the championships awarded to Lagos, attention will turn to the practical work required to deliver the competition, from facilities and logistics to the experience of athletes and visiting delegations. Nigeria’s immediate task is to build on the successful bid and prepare for its two consecutive years of continental hosting responsibilities.
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