Over 6,000 Players To Participate In Secondary School Flag Football League

The Nigerian-American Football Association (NAFA), has unveiled plans for Season 4 of the Nigerian Secondary School Flag Football League (NSSFFL).

The Secretary General of NAFA, Lawrence Ojaide, said that the Nigerian Secondary Schools Flag Football League, a grassroot sporting program powered by NAFA, will continue to redefine the landscape of school sports development in Nigeria through the values of The HUDDLE Way: Health, Unity, Diversity, Development, Livelihood and Entertainment.

According to him, NSSFFL is the largest gathering of flag-football enthusiasts in Africa, a continental hub for youth engagement, sports education, and athletic discovery that has placed Nigeria at the forefront of the sport’s growth on the continent.

He said: “When the NSSFFL first kicked off as a pilot initiative in Lagos in 2022, our vision was to introduce a new sport to Nigerian secondary schools in a way that inspires teamwork, leadership, and strategic thinking. Three years later, that vision has grown into a national movement with structured participation across multiple states, giving thousands of young Nigerians a chance to learn, play, and dream through the game of flag football.

“From that humble beginning in 2022 with approximately 900 athletes across both male and female divisions, the NSSFFL has grown significantly over the seasons.

“Today, the league engages roughly 6,000 participants — making it a central convergence point for flag football enthusiasts across Nigeria and reinforcing its status as Africa’s largest school-level flag football competition,” he stated.

Ojaide revealed that participation in the Season 4 (2025) is projected to surpass 1,300 student- athletes across 11 active states, each fielding a minimum of ten competing teams — a strong testament to the League’s continued growth and stability.

He said: “This trajectory of growth from hundreds to thousands validates our approach and underlines the urgency of creating pathways, sustaining infrastructure, and deepening access across more states and communities.

“A particularly important evolution for this season is the introduction of a clear developmental pipeline for our student-athletes. Historically, when players completed their time in the NSSFFL, they often faced the question: “Where do I go next?” especially in states without a senior league infrastructure.

“Today, we are proud to announce the upcoming launch of the Nigeria Collegiate Flag Football League (NCFFL), in partnership with the Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA), which will ensure these talented young athletes (male and female) continue their flag-football journey at the tertiary level.

“By providing the pathway from secondary to university, polytechnic or specialised college, we are transforming participation into progression, and potential into performance.”

Ojaide praised their partners, including Browns Nigeria, Unique Open University, Allez Charis Gas Limited, Zibwe, Stretford Hill Limited and Gridiron Gems.

He also hinted that the preliminary for Season 4 will begin soon across the states.