Giants Now: Bobby Okereke, Kayvon Thibodeaux help Osi Umenyiora expand NFL Africa to Nigeria

In collaboration with the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA), an NFL Flag football tournament between 12 U14 local Nigerian school teams followed in Lagos, as part of league efforts to continue to grow the game across the continent.

The NFL also hosted a first-of-its-kind women’s flag football workout, with U.S. scholarships available for top athletes — offering talented women in Africa pathways to the game.

Fast, highly accessible and inclusive for all, flag football is spearheading extraordinary growth in participation globally — played by over 20 million people across 100 countries, with women and girls driving some of the sport’s fastest growth.

In partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the NFL is investing in the development and growth of flag football at grassroots and elite levels across the world ahead of the sport’s official debut in the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The Cleveland Browns, who have marketing rights in Nigeria as part of the Global Markets Program, supported the events in Lagos by providing lanyards, sunglasses and additional gear to prospects and youth flag football players.

NFL Africa expansion throughout the continent follows a successful delivery of programming in Ghana in 2022 and Kenya and Cape Town in 2023, including talent identification camps, NFL Flag football clinics and fan events held each country.

For more information on the NFL’s international efforts visit: https://www.nfl.com/international/.