Nigeria to host maiden Wheelchair American Football tourney
August 8, 2026 12:42 am
FILE: Wheelchair sports athletes
By Peter Akinbo
Nigeria will host its first Wheelchair American Football Exhibition on Thursday, September 10, at the Outdoor Basketball Arena of the National Institute for Sports, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The exhibition, organised by American Football for Elite Development, introduces an adaptive variant of the sport that promotes inclusion, equal opportunity, leadership and community participation for persons with disabilities.
Wheelchair American football, which traces its origins to the United States, is typically played on an indoor court with participants using manual or power wheelchairs, and has grown steadily as an adaptive sport since its development decades ago.
Organisers described the exhibition as a historic occasion for Nigeria and have extended invitations to government agencies, diplomatic missions, corporate organisations, educational institutions, disability organisations, development partners and members of the media to attend.
The initiative comes amid a broader push to grow American football in Nigeria, with organisations such as the American Football Association of Nigeria having worked in recent years to develop flag and tackle football at the grassroots level across the country.
AFEDEV’s exhibition is expected to further widen the sport’s reach by extending it to persons with disabilities for the first time in Nigeria.
Peter, who has been covering sports for PUNCH for close to two years, focuses on combat sports reporting, special features and human angle stories
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]