Nigeria beats Tunisia 23-15 to host 2028 ITTF Africa Championships in Lagos

Nigeria will host the 2028 ITTF Africa Championships in Lagos after beating Tunisia by 23 votes to 15 at the annual general meeting of ITTF Africa, the continent’s table tennis body, in Tangier, Morocco, on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.

Delegates also gave Nigeria the 2027 African Para Championships, which will also be held in Lagos, Pulse Sports reported. The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) welcomed both decisions.

Why it matters

The African Championships are the continent’s top table tennis event, and Nigeria has not staged them since 1992. That year in Lagos, Nigeria won both the men’s and women’s team titles and Olufunke Oshonaike won the women’s singles, records of past championships show.

The vote also comes in an awkward year. Nigeria was absent from the team events at this year’s championships in Tangier because it did not attend the regional qualifiers in Conakry, Guinea, which Voice of Nigeria attributed to financial constraints and high ticket prices. Egypt went on to keep both the men’s and women’s team titles, ITTF Africa reported. Hosting in 2028 gives Nigerian players a home stage and the federation a clear target.

How the vote went

Nigeria and Tunisia both made formal presentations before delegates decided the race by ballot. Of the 38 votes cast, 31 by delegates in the room and seven by proxy, Nigeria received 23 and Tunisia 15, Pulse Sports reported. TheCable reported the same result.

What did the federation say?

NTTF president Adesoji Tayo said the championships would be held in Lagos and thanked the delegates. “We want to thank all the delegates for placing their trust in Nigeria to host both the 2028 African Championships and the 2027 African Para Championships,” he said.

“As experienced organisers of major international table tennis events, we are committed to delivering a seamless and successful tournament,” Tayo added. “Lagos will once again welcome the continent’s finest players, and we assure all visitors that Nigeria will be the place to be in 2028.”

Who hosts what in 2027 and 2028?

The meeting also confirmed the hosts of ITTF Africa’s other continental events, according to TheCable and Pulse Sports:

• 2027 Africa Cup: Libya
• 2027 African Championships: Algeria
• 2027 Youth Championships: Botswana
• 2027 African Para Championships: Nigeria
• 2028 African Championships: Nigeria
• 2028 Youth Championships: Rwanda
• 2028 Para Championships: Egypt

The host of the 2028 Africa Cup has not been announced.

Where does Nigeria stand in African table tennis?

Nigeria won the men’s team title at the 2024 championships in Addis Ababa, and Quadri Aruna won the men’s singles in 2018, 2022 and 2023, according to records of the championships. Egypt won the men’s and women’s singles at last year’s edition in Tunis.

Lagos has hosted the African Championships three times before, in 1968, 1988 and 1992.

What happens next

• Now: the 2026 championships in Tangier run until Monday, 26 October. Quadri Aruna and Olajide Omotayo were among the Nigerian players who qualified for the singles, and the singles events double as qualifiers for the 2027 World Championships in Astana, Voice of Nigeria reported.
• 2027: Lagos stages the African Para Championships. The dates and venue have not been announced.
• 2028: Lagos hosts the African Championships. The NTTF has not yet named the venue or the dates.

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