NAFA: An NFL revolution in Africa's most populous nation

The NFL is the most prominent American Football League and has become even more popular in the past decade. Hence, it's not unusual to see players from numerous nations take to the gridiron on NFL match days.

Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, gets more representation with each draft class. Nigeria has quickly become a hotbed of talent, and college scouts are slowly but surely tapping into the gold mine of prospects from the West African nation.

Only recently, these talent expeditions were largely underground, with no actual regulatory body in the African giant. However, that all changed with the creation of NAFA, the Nigerian American Football Association.

In this piece, we will showcase the advent of NAFA, its vision, and its mission and highlight its affiliation with the NFL. So without further ado, let's take a trip to the motherland.

About NAFA

The Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA) was founded in November 2019 by Babajide Akeredolu. NAFA was created as a viable platform for young Nigerians who are interested in using sports for personal and national development.

The American Football Association of Nigeria is a nongovernmental organization that operates as NAFA in Nigeria. It is an association created to promote and grow across the 36 states of the federation [including the FCT] contact and noncontact American football. It is currently done under the National Flag Football League (NFFL) and North American Footbal League (NAFL) brands, in partnership with the International Federation of American Football or IFAF.

According to NAFA's website, their vision is to increase opportunities for Nigerians through American football. Such options range from educational scholarships through sport, provision of livelihood, and exposure to diverse cultures and tourism from NAFA tours.

NAFA's mission is to:

1. Become the governing body for the growth, awareness, and development of American football in Nigeria.
2. To focus on the grassroots development of the sport throughout Nigeria
3. To kickstart and sustain a professional American Football League that will consist of American football teams all over Nigeria, and
4. To use the sport as a viable tool to promote safety culture within and outside the purview of the sport.

Is NAFA affiliated with the NFL?

Yes, NAFA is affiliated with the National Football League, and both parties are on the same page regarding the development of American football in Nigeria, and in Africa as a whole.

According to NAFA general secretary Lawrence Ojaideh, the association's president, Babajide Akeredolu, met with a National Football League delegation during a recent African camp in Kenya. The organizations agreed to collaborate to create more awareness regarding the sport in Nigeria.

Ojaideh noted that the NFL's involvement in the country's American football development would lure more sponsors, home and abroad, to invest in the sport across the country.

Ojaideh also disclosed that there would be an inaugural senior-friendly game between Lagos and Abuja at the Turf Arena Wuse, Abuja, on May 7, 2023, to further promote the sport in the country.

NAFA also stated that the body is preparing to launch the American Football Tackle League in the last quarter of 2023.

It's great to see that NAFA is on the same page with the NFL, as it's about time that there is a genuine and sustainable partnership between two stellar organizations at the forefront of grassroots American football development.