Nigerian Institute of American Football is
The Nigerian Institute of American Football was founded in June, 2011 at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. The Institute was founded by three American former-athletes. Daryl Hayes (an assistant coach at Shepherd University of West Virginia), Ricardo Dickerson (former football standout at the University of Maryland/Oakland Raiders), and Gregory Hendricks (former professional basketball player/coach) collaborated to bring American football to Nigeria. The three, along with Professional Basketball player and Nigerian National Basketball Team Captain Ejike Ugboaja, found a unique niche for the football while leading basketball camps in Ejike’s homeland of Nigeria. The Ejike Ugboaja Foundation has operated basketball camps for young Nigerian players for many years. With the number of Nigerian descendants currently playing football at the collegiate and professional levels, it seemed a natural fit to begin teaching the sport in Nigeria.
The short-term goal of the Institute is to collaborate with eager young players and willing coaches to begin teaching the basics of the sport. The NAIF conducts coaching ‘clinics’ to instruct coaches with the basics of the game. The classrooms and athletic fields of A.B.U. are utilized for instruction. Basic concepts related to rules, filed dimensions, position names, alignments, and timing will provide the groundwork to begin playing.
In the long-term, A.B.U. hopes to field an intercollegiate football team to compete against other universities in Africa, and perhaps globally. A.B.U. is also preparing for a Coaching Education ‘Programme of Study’ (similar to an American College Major) related to coaching American Football.
The NIAF’s efforts in the United States are centered on fund-raising, collecting football materials, and preparing the curriculum for ABU’s Football Programme of Study. To date, thousands of dollars of donations have been collected. There exists an active attempt to secure long-term support from US citizens interested in spreading football worldwide.