LAGOS, Nigeria — Former Director General of the National Sports Commission Dr. Amos Adamu will serve as the keynote speaker for the 10th Year Stephen Keshi Memorial Anniversary Lecture on June 7, 2026.
Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun, chairman of the Stephen Keshi Football and Vocational Training Center (SKFVTC), confirmed Adamu’s acceptance for the milestone event. The lecture will commence at 2 p.m. at the main auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Victoria Island, Lagos, with the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, presiding as the Chief Host.
Organized under the theme “Heroes of the Game: Celebrating African Football Legends for Tomorrow’s Aspirants,” the lecture has received official Federal Government endorsement through Alhaji Shehu Dikko, chairman of the National Sports Commission, who will also serve as the chairman of the occasion.
The anniversary event will feature an elite lineup of continental sports administrators and public leaders. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Secretary, Samson Adamu, will attend as the Special Guest of Honor. Other confirmed special guests include the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade; the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON); and the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi.
A high-powered panel discussion will anchor the event, featuring the Director General of the National Institute for Sports (NIS), Rt. Hon. Philip Shaibu, and the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, CG Bashir Adewale Adeniyi. The panel will address the institutional alignment of sports administration, youth empowerment, and national security frameworks to support grassroots talent and sustainable football development.
The keynote speaker, Dr. Amos Adamu, brings decades of premier international sports governance experience to the podium. A former member of both the FIFA and CAF Executive Committees, Adamu previously served as the sole administrator of the Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and chief organizer of the 2003 All-Africa Games (COJA).
The lecture honors the enduring legacy of Stephen Okechukwu Keshi. Affectionately known as “The Big Boss,” Keshi passed away on June 7, 2016. He remains one of global football’s most influential trailblazers, achieving historic milestones as both a legendary captain and manager:
– Dual AFCON Glory: One of only two men in history to win the Africa Cup of Nations as both a player (1994) and a coach (2013).
– World Cup Pioneer: The first African coach to successfully qualify two different nations for the FIFA World Cup (Togo in 2006 and Nigeria in 2014), leading the Super Eagles to the Round of 16 in Brazil.
– Grassroots Transformation: A fierce advocate for domestic development who famously integrated home-based Nigerian league players into the national team, culminating in their 2013 continental triumph.
– European Trailblazer: The historic captain who led Nigeria to its debut World Cup appearance in USA 1994, opening the doors for generations of African talent in elite international leagues.
The 10th-year memorial lecture is expected to draw influential personalities across sports, politics, academia, and the corporate sector to drive dialogue on sportsmanship, community governance, and national unity.
For further enquiries Contact
Austin Popo
Secretary SKFVTC
08104036658.
