World governing body International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has confirmed that the Nigeria Federation of American Football (NFAF) is the organisation recognised to run the sport in Nigeria, putting an end to months of uncertainty surrounding the country’s international standing.
Key takeaways
- IFAF has recognised the Nigeria Federation of American Football (NFAF) as the official governing body for American football in Nigeria.
- IFAF Managing Director Andy Fuller explained why the Nigeria American Football Association (NAFA) had remained listed on the federation’s membership directory.
- Fuller said IFAF was tracking governance changes in Nigeria from the start of the transition.
- Fuller praised the National Sports Commission (NSC) for its approach to managing the change.
- Earlier concerns from NAFA president Babajide Akeredolu centred on whether the transition followed IFAF constitutional steps and could affect Nigeria’s Associate Member status.
IFAF clarifies Nigeria’s governing structure
IFAF Managing Director Andy Fuller issued the clarification in a written reply to questions about why NAFA had continued to appear on the world body’s official membership list even after the National Sports Commission had launched the NFAF months earlier.
Fuller pointed out that NAFA has traditionally been the IFAF member federation for Nigeria, and he said IFAF had been monitoring changes to the sport’s administration since the process began.
He added that IFAF is aware of the developments in Nigeria’s American football governance and of the creation of the new body, NFAF. Fuller described NFAF as bringing together NAFA and other key stakeholders to cover all levels of the sport, from grassroots participation through to high-performance pathways.
NSC praised as NAFA raises constitutional questions
Fuller also offered praise for how the NSC handled the transition, saying he was “deeply grateful” for the transparency shown by the Sports Commission throughout the process.
The latest confirmation comes after concerns were raised by NAFA president Babajide Akeredolu. Akeredolu questioned whether the shift to the new structure complied with IFAF’s constitutional requirements and argued that creating a new body could jeopardise Nigeria’s Associate Member status.
He warned that such a change would demand “a full reassessment with no guarantee of recognition,” and he also stated that the deadline for membership applications had already passed. Akeredolu called for the transition to be handled carefully to avoid any unintended consequences for Nigeria’s standing within the IFAF system.
