Dr Ezekiel Adamu, Chief Executive Officer of Balmoral Group, has disclosed that the Federal Government is backing his ambitious plan to stage Anthony Joshua’s first professional fight in Africa, with early 2026 set as the target date.

Adamu, who is partnering with Amir Khan Promotions, spoke with The Ring magazine about his long-term vision for Nigerian boxing while preparing for his upcoming October 1 show in Lagos, billed as “Nigeria’s biggest fight night ever.” The event, titled Chaos in the Ring, will be headlined by Brandon Glanton’s grudge clash against Marcus Browne and broadcast globally on DAZN.

“We see October 1 as just a little sneak peek. This is really just a showcase of what Nigeria is about and what we can make happen,” Adamu said. “We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure and we’ve got the technical know-how. We have big plans coming.”

The October card also features former British, Commonwealth and European light heavyweight champion Dan Azeez, who turned down more lucrative fight offers to be part of the Lagos event. According to Adamu, the excitement of competing in Africa is drawing fighters with Nigerian roots, and he expects global stars to follow.

“Of course there is Anthony Joshua,” Adamu said. “But what about Efe Ajagba, Deontay Wilder, Lawrence Okolie and also Moses Itauma whose father is from Nigeria. In fact most of the heavyweight division has Nigerian blood in them.”

Joshua, a two-time world heavyweight champion, was born in Watford, England, but spent part of his childhood in Nigeria and has often spoken of his desire to fight in the country before the end of his career.

Adamu confirmed he has held talks with Joshua’s camp, with discussions centring on Abuja Stadium as the likely venue.

“We are going to get Joshua,” Adamu stated. “I spoke with him, I spoke with his team and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria it’s a match made in heaven.’ Joshua has always said that before he ends his career he wants to fight in Nigeria and we are going to make that fight happen.”

Adamu revealed that the Abuja Stadium, which holds 50,000 spectators, is being considered for the blockbuster bout.

Potential opponents include fellow Africans such as Tony Yoka and Martin Bakole, with heavyweight star Deontay Wilder also said to be open to an African fight.

“This would definitely be two Africans,” Adamu added. “Now we have a big promotion and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria.” (AriseNews TV, excluding headline)