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Nigeria held its first Wheelchair American Football exhibition on Thursday, drawing diplomats, university leaders and sports officials to the National Institute for Sports in Lagos, in an event organized by American Football Elite Development (AFEDEV) with support from the U.S. Consulate General Lagos and the Lagos State Sports Commission.
Four teams competed in three games at the outdoor basketball court of the National Stadium. Liberty Pioneer went undefeated, beating Iron Invicta 13–0 before edging Atlantic Chargers 10–3. Atlantic Chargers had earlier defeated Lagos Dynamos 7–0.
The U.S. Consulate General Lagos played a central role in the event, supplying jerseys, footballs and meals for athletes and helping promote the exhibition through its media team. Consulate staff and other U.S. diplomatic personnel attended alongside representatives from the German Embassy, including its Deputy Consul General.
Nigeria’s academic community also turned out in force, with the vice-chancellors of the University of Lagos and Lagos State University attending along with members of their institutions. The National Institute for Sports was represented by its Registrar and Deputy Registrar, and sports officials from several other Nigerian states came to observe the sport with an eye toward introducing it in their own regions.
Corporate sponsors including Milo, Pocari Sweat, Sports Assist, Showtime Nemsia Studio, UOU and Azogi backed the event.
AFEDEV Executive Director Ojaideh Ufoma Lawrence called the exhibition a milestone. “This exhibition has demonstrated what is possible when athletes, diplomatic missions, government institutions, universities, businesses.
, the media and the wider sporting community come together around a shared vision,” he said, adding that the U.S. Consulate’s support “went beyond attendance” to directly aid the athletes and the event’s delivery.
Lawrence said interest from visiting state officials was encouraging and framed the exhibition as a starting point rather than a conclusion. AFEDEV now plans to evaluate the event and pursue expansion into more states, athlete and coach development, deeper institutional and corporate partnerships, and eventually a national super league that could position Nigerian athletes for international competition.
AFEDEV, a nonprofit focused on American football as a tool for leadership development and inclusion, also runs flag football, tackle football and youth leadership programs across Nigeria.
