American Football League To Debut In 16 Nigerian Cities

The Continental American Football League (CAFL) Africa has announced plans to launch an American football league in 16 locations across Nigeria from March 2027, with Makurdi, the Benue State capital, selected as the starting point.

CAFL Africa Commissioner, Muhammad El Muhammad, disclosed this on Wednesday at a news conference in Makurdi, saying preparations were already underway for the nationwide launch.

He said the league would be staged in Benue, Nasarawa, Lagos, Kogi, Ibadan, Kwara, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Enugu, Imo, Delta and Port Harcourt, among other locations.

According to El Muhammad, discussions with the Benue State Government have been concluded to facilitate the launch, while structures required for the league are being put in place.

He said Makurdi was chosen as the starting point because of the state’s pool of untapped sporting talent and the opportunities the project could create for young people.

As part of the initiative, he disclosed that CAFL Africa would establish an American football academy in Makurdi to identify and develop young talents.

“We are going to establish a football academy in Makurdi to scout and nurture hidden talents. We are doing all these to catch them young across the state,” he said.

El Muhammad said the league was designed to introduce American football to a wider Nigerian and African audience while creating new opportunities for youth participation, employment and talent development.

He said the organisers would require an enabling environment from the state government, particularly access to suitable playing pitches and adequate security.

The commissioner also disclosed plans to establish sports clinics and deploy trained sports therapists to provide injury management during games.

“Benue is a home of talents yet to be fully harnessed. We want to tap into these talents for the good of the people. The economic well-being of families will be enhanced,” he said.

Head of Marketing at Benue Television, Solomon Awua, described the project as a major opportunity for the state, saying it could challenge the perception that major sporting initiatives were concentrated in Lagos and Abuja.

Awua urged residents to encourage young people to participate in the programme and pledged media support for the league.

Director of Sports at the Benue State Sports Council, Iorngurum Malu, also commended CAFL Africa for choosing Benue as its launch location, saying Governor Hyacinth Alia was committed to sports development.

The Benue State chairmen of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Bemdoo Ugber, and the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Hembadoon Orsar, pledged media support for the league and its talent-development objectives.