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Founders | Babajide Akeredolu Seye Obatolu |
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Type | Federation |
Registration no. | CAC/IT/NO151819 |
Focus | Flag Football, North American Football (Tackle), Referees & Coach Development |
Location |
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Area served | Nigeria |
Method | Capacity Building, League Development, Player Pathways, Sports Development |
Affiliations | IFAF NFL Nigeria School Sports Federation Gridiron Imports |
Website | nafa |
The American Football Association of Nigeria, also known as the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA), is a private organization dedicated to promoting and developing American football across Nigeria.
Established in 2019, NAFA operates as an associated member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) representing Nigeria though they are not officially recognized as the governing body of American Football by the Nigerian government. [1]
NAFA was founded in November 2019 by Babajide Akeredolu, alongside co-founders Obatolu Oluwaseye from the United Kingdom and Dominik Mueller from Germany and Lawrence Ojaideh who currently serves as the Secretary general of the organization. [2] The organization's primary mission is to utilize American football as a vehicle for personal and national development, emphasizing grassroots participation, educational scholarships, and community outreach initiatives. [3]
NAFA's efforts have led to a significant increase in the popularity and presence of American football across Nigeria. The organization's focus on promoting safety culture and positive youth engagement has garnered recognition from national and international partners with its actions leading to selection of Jeff Okudah as the first NFL Player Ambassador to NAFA [8] [9]
In 2023 the organization was invited by the National Football League to bring an U12 Flag Football team to the 2023 NFL Flag Championships at the Probowl. [10]
In June 2024, NAFA organized the first ever NFL Flag U14 Tournament in Nigeria during the NFL expansion program to Nigeria. The competition involved 12 schools from the states of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo. [11] [12]
Flag football is a variant of gridiron football where, instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier ("deflagging") to end a down. In flag football, contact is limited between players. The sport has a strong amateur following with several national and international competitions each year sponsored by various associations but is most popularly played in America where it was invented. The international governing body for the sport is the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). In 2022, flag football was shortlisted as a proposed discretionary event for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, with inclusion being accepted on October 16, 2023.
Akure is a city in south-western Nigeria. It is the capital and largest city of Ondo State. The city had a population of 403,000 as of the 2006 population census. Its current population is 774,000.
Troy Darnell Vincent Sr. is an American sports executive and former football cornerback who played for the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Dolphins as the seventh overall pick in the 1992 NFL draft. He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. On September 28, 2011, Vincent was named as one of the preliminary nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2012 in his first year of eligibility and each year since.
The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) is the international governing body of American football associations. The IFAF oversees the organisation and promotion of all international competitions across both contact and non contact versions of the game, including the IFAF World Championship of American Football, which is held every four years. The IFAF became a provisionary member of SportAccord in 2003, and became a full SportAccord member in 2005. The organization's head office is located in the French commune of La Courneuve, in the Île-de-France region.
The United States national American football team often referred to as Team USA represents the United States in international men's Flag football and American football competitions. It is currently controlled by USA Football and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). The team is currently ranked no.1 in the world in both flag and tackle Football by the IFAF.
USA Football is the governing body of American football in the United States. It is the United States' member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), and a recognized sports organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. It selects and organizes the U.S. men's national team and the U.S. women's nation team in federation-sanctioned international competition. They also organize the men's and women's flag football teams.
Sunshine Stars Football Club is a Nigerian football club based in Akure. They play in the top division in Nigerian football, the Nigerian Premier League. Their home stadium is the 10,000-capacity Akure Township Stadium.
American football is a form of gridiron football and the most popular sport in the United States. In the United States, the game is most often referred to as simply "football". Football is played in leagues of different size, age and quality, in all regions of the country.
American football, also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with possession of the oval-shaped football, attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it, while the defense, the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive. A game is won by the team with the higher number of points, which are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal.
Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu ; 21 July 1956 – 27 December 2023) was a Nigerian lawyer and politician who served as governor of Ondo State from 2017 until his death in 2023.
American football in Nigeria is the sport of American football in Nigeria. The popularity of American football in the nation has grown substantially since 2010, becoming a major source of talent to the National Football League (NFL). The Nigerian Institute of American Football (NAIF) was the governing body for international American football in Nigeria under the broader International Federation of American Football (IFAF) for Africa until 2019, when the American Football Association of Nigeria (NAFA) took its place.
The Canada National Football Junior Team a.k.a. the Football Canada World Junior Team represent Canada in international gridiron football competitions. The football program is part of the football development program and is controlled by Football Canada and is recognized by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF). It is the premiere team in male development for the organization. While Football Canada is the governing body for amateur Canadian football, IFAF-sponsored games are played using American football rules. Team Canada first competed on the world stage in the NFL Global Junior Championship in 2000 with a championship victory over Team Europe. They competed for their first IFAF Junior World Cup in 2009.
Gbenga Elegbeleye is a Nigerian sports administrator and a politician. Gbenga Elegbeleye is the Director-General of the National Sports Commission in Nigeria. He was a legislator in the House of Representatives (Nigeria).
IFAF Flag Football World Championship is the international championship in flag football, organized by International Federation of American Football. The men's and women's competitions are usually held in the same venue. The tournament starts with pool play to fill in the seeding and follows an elimination-style of play after that. At the end of the tournament the top teams are rewarded with Bronze (3rd), Silver (2nd) or Gold (1st). The IFAF Flag Football World Championship is held every two years in different countries.
American football is a sport played at the amateur and international competition levels in Israel. The Israel Football League (IFL) is the highest level of competition in Israel, although there are multiple flag football leagues, a high school league and a youth league. All forms of American football in Israel are governed by American Football in Israel (IFL). As of February 2017, there are 1,350 active football players living in Israel.
Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu is a Nigerian aquaculturist who was the first lady of Ondo State in Nigeria from 2017 to 2023. She is a feminist and gender activist. She was married to former governor of Ondo State Rotimi Akeredolu. She is the founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, and a survivor of breast cancer.
Jeffrey Chidera Okudah is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, where he was a unanimous All-American in 2019 before being selected by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2020 NFL draft.
Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa is a Nigerian businessman and politician who has served as governor of Ondo State since 2023. He previously served as deputy governor of Ondo State from 2021 to 2023 under Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. He is a former commissioner of Niger Delta Development Commission.
Akogun Olugbenga Akinola Omole, is a Nigerian politician, legislator, football administrator and farmer. He is the chairman of Akogun Farms Nigeria Limited and currently represents Akoko South West Constituency I in the Ondo State House of Assembly.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will introduce the sport of flag football for the first time. Two events, one for men and one for women, will be held. Flag football, a variant of American football in which players remove flags attached to the ball carrier instead of tackling them, was previously contested at the 2022 World Games.