The Commonwealth Fencing Federation (CFF) has announced that the 2026 Commonwealth Fencing Championships for Seniors and Veterans will take place at Charterhouse School Campus in Lagos, Nigeria.
At the time of writing there is no further information available about any aspects of the event, including the date. A request for this information has been made to CFF.
A preliminary meeting with England, Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and British Fencing and an experienced security advisor has been held to discuss concerns about the personal safety and security of our fencers and officials. Lagos is in the South-West of Nigeria. While FCDO gives it a lower risk rating, the advice we have been given is serious and needs careful consideration. The short answer is that the risk is more associated with personal crime than with terrorism.
Accommodation.
The question has been asked if there is any accommodation available to us at the School. We do not have any information about which hotels and where they might be located but we are advised that any hotels offered as official event hotels will be appropriately secured.
Flights.
We are advised that groups of fencers arriving should be met by official and secure transport that will be fast-tracked through traffic and local obstacles to hotels. We do not have any further detail on how this will be managed and by whom. We will continue to seek more information, and British Fencing has undertaken to co-ordinate and assist.
This is not like attending an event in our home nations. Fencers and officials will be required to comply with strict constraints, rules and arrangements for their own safety. Everyone attending must travel between Airport, Hotel, Venue, Official Social Events in groups using the official and secure transport provided.
Once we have more information, Welsh Fencing will update you further and ask for an expression of interest at this stage. While the picture does look a bit daunting due to a lack of communication, we are seeking to learn as much as we can so we can make informed decisions about how we can support our fencers and officials.