Nigerian Secondary School Flag Football League starts Season 5 with ₦3.7m in prizes

The Nigerian Secondary School Flag Football League (NSSFFL) kicks off its fifth season on Tuesday. Organisers promise cash prizes for top schools and will work to create more chances for young athletes.

Nancy Damhindi, vice president of the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA), said the league is now a structured programme. It connects students, schools, coaches, and communities through flag football.

During a press conference in Lagos on Monday, Ms Damhindi said this season will build on what the league has achieved. It will also boost grassroots development and educational chances for student-athletes.

The early competitions will lead to Aketi Bowl IV, the national championship set for 17, 20 November in Abuja.

League coordinator Oluwatobi Abe said the places for the games were chosen after preseason evaluations. These activities aimed to find locations ready to host competitive matches.

The announced locations for the preliminaries include Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Benue, Cross River, Bayelsa, and Kwara states, plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mr Abe, who is also known as Coach Tobi, said NAFA has done activation and training in areas where the sport has been introduced before.

"We were very intentional about our developmental pathway," he said. He added that the association used its evaluations to pick spots ready for the competitions.

Winners to get ₦1 million

Mr Abe mentioned that the first-place teams in the boys' and girls' divisions at the national championship will each win ₦1 million. The runners-up in both divisions will take home ₦500,000 each. The third-placed teams will get ₦350,000 each, making the total prize money ₦3.7 million.

He explained there would be no prize money at the state-level preliminaries. The focus here will be on participation and on finding schools to represent their areas at the national tournament.

Mr Abe made this clarification after questions about prize money during last season’s qualifiers.

The preliminary competitions will happen from 20 to 30 October. They start in Oyo State at Bishop Phillips Academy, Iwo Road.

Other venues include Community Secondary Commercial School in Akwa Ibom, Government Secondary School, Garki, in the FCT, CMS Grammar School, Bariga, in Lagos, and St Peter’s Secondary School, Akure, in Ondo State.

Kwara will host its competition at Queen Elizabeth Secondary School, Ilorin, on 26 October, followed by Ogun on 27 October at St Peter’s Unity College, Abeokuta. Benue’s games are set for 28 October at Goldman Secondary School, Gboko. Bayelsa will finish the preliminary schedule on 30 October at Bellary International Schools, Yenagoa. Cross River will also have its competition during this time.

Scholarships and opportunities

Beyond the games, NAFA wants to create educational and international chances for students taking part.

Mr Abe said Unique Open University has supported the league since its first season in Lagos in 2022. They are offering scholarships to top teams.

Initially, scholarships were available to the first, second, and third-placed teams in both divisions. From the second season, the awards were limited to the national champions in both the boys' and girls' categories.

He said winners could decide with their parents whether to study at the sponsoring school or choose other educational paths.

Mr Abe mentioned Divine Ayogu, a former player from Baptist Academy. He played in the league's first season and later represented Nigeria at the national team level. This shows the opportunities that the sport can provide.

He noted that a partnership with Nigerian American Football Outreach helped Ayogu earn a scholarship in the United States.

NAFA is also starting a programme for kids under 13 to introduce younger children to the sport using the storybook Jojo and the Winning Play. They plan to create a collegiate league as well.

Ms Damhindi pointed out that flag football's debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games could open another path for Nigerian athletes, though qualification will depend on the process.

Schools encouraged to keep participating

Ms Damhindi thanked the Nigerian School Sport Federation (NSSF) for partnering in organizing the competition and linking it to the country's school-sports system.

She also mentioned support from Browns Nigeria and NFL FLAG through the One Ball, One Flag, One Future initiative. This program provides about 2,000 American footballs and 5,000 flag football kits.

During the Q&A session, Segun Omodunni, representing the NSSF president, said school principals must confirm that students are enrolled before they can play for their schools. State officials will also verify this.

The organisers said their main goal is to run fair competitions and give students chances to develop their skills, pursue education, and move toward national and international contests.