Can you tell me about the program- how long it has been going on for now how it works and who is able to participate in it?
American Football For African Mission (AFFAM) is a commissioned football non-profit corporation which is operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes. We are the first and sole football nonprofit outfit on ground here in Africa – established in the year 2010, but registered with the Cooperate Affairs Commission (CAC) of Nigeria, where our headquarters is situated.
Subsequently with the Secretary of States and North Carolina State, American Football For African Mission (AFFAM), has being ongoing since the summer of 2010 – which is 10 years now. We are a nonprofit which is governed by a Board of Trustee,s in whom I am the Founder and Board Chairman.
We have also executive positions which are led by the executive president. People whom are passionate about football as well as opportunities of education of the African youths through sports assisted schemes are much welcome to our organization.
The ultimate target is the youth of Africa whom have been profiled amongst the most at risk and defenseless in society today.
What made you decide to start and run the program- what inspired you to do so?
It is no longer a thing to effectively trace our common shortfalls as derivatives of one to another, which is particular in all member nations of Africa. For a long time, our loving heritage has been bemoaned by the present day strive to survive some of the gruesome mishaps of our time – this is the current setback to our African continent. There is urgency to curb the present malaise which is in full swing in the African nations. Our dear Africa is appreciated for our bravery in times of adversary and hard work in unquantifiable terms to dig deep and find a solution to our everyday challenges.
Today the share rate of unemployed youth scavenging the street of our mother land is so alarming that one could mistake it to be some of the dark cultural heritages of being African. The mutilated bodies of our dear ones litter the streets, and we are no longer frightened by the urgency to stay away from our worst fear; unfulfilled life. The alarming rate of malicious trade of heavy weaponry and ammunitions, which strolls the streets of our continent, has brought about an unholy emancipation and occupation of territory. The ice cold truth reminds us that our chances of survival as Africans are low.
Aside from our self-inflicted disaster, two-thirds of the populace of Africa will go to bed without a meal as a result of climate change; an artificial preempted disaster. With Africa still having to make do with Stone Age means to supplement our shortage of energy supply. A lot has been made of formal education and the right for the African child to be educated. But education without the necessary application is nothing but a nightmare. The rate of depression that accost African’s youths when they realize that there is a minimal chance of living their dreams is severe, even as they spend their whole youth in acquiring a skill but will not have the chance to effectively practice not to talk of earning a living from their respective trade. The knock-on is clear; that crime has to be on the increase. Terrorism will thrive, with terrorist camps on the rise; child soldiers recruited in their thousands and their camps a source of refuge and opportunity to escape sudden death through starvation.
A morsel of bread appeals to the young minds that have their faith in their hands. Human trafficking and organized criminal gangs have taken a new course with parents willing to give-up the African child just to survive the next moment of their miserable lives. The child bride is seen as a short means to escape poverty. This is a picture of the reality we face as Africans, but all hopes are not dashed as we live among these tribulations to understand that we can make Africa better, by our collective strength to combat our adversaries. Reminiscing on our creed that reads, “The strength of the wolf is in the pack and the strength of the pack is in the wolf”. Truly we are one great Africa. We must find a solution to alleviate our common disaster. From our meticulous research hypothesis; we have come to terms that to reduce poverty to even the nearest approximant will help rehabilitate our African nation thereby bringing back our dignity. We once are the envy of our neighbors.
AFFAM is certain that these goals are attainable within the minimal time. We are fully aware of our heritage as Africans and that our values are never negotiable even in the wake of our worst nemesis. Africans want to live in peace, in affluence and in expansion of our culture to our neighbor.
What does success look like to you?
Success for me is to see football thrive in Africa, with the youth given the right to enjoy to play as well as exercise their respective God-given talents. To increase the level of education for the African youths through sports assisted programs.
How are you most able to help athletes who enter the program- what have you been most successful in doing for them specifically so far?
I have been able to give the African youth in our program an alternative to crime where football is able to help them attain any level of excellence they so desire.
Through educational and athletic scholarships locally and overseas; to play football as well as go to school for free through our assist program. The youth have equally received exposure outside their locality and see football as an alternative to crime and social vices – creating great awareness to social justice and the need for the African youths to gain an education. A couple of the athletes from our program have been able to gain admission to go to school for free in the USA and Europe and to play at various divisions (High School, JuCo, Colleges) – some have equally progressed to D1 Schools in the USA.
Also many have played in the All American Bowls (Organized by The Under Armour as well as the US Army).
What are the Biggest Challenges/obstacles for success?
The biggest obstacle to success is the need to receive a strong base for support. We have been able to create a couple of teams at various levels and as well as leagues and national teams; but are under-refurbished, equipment-wise. We have inadequate and unsustainable financial obligations to be able to support the growth of the program. We have been committing our family budgets so far into the development of the sports with our volunteer coaches and facilitators who deserves to be paid for the great work they have been putting in for the past decade and counting.
Has the NFL and other Leagues around the world helped in any way- if so how?
So far we have not received any support from the NFL and any other Leagues around the world but there are exciting moves ongoing along the lines of bringing in the NFL flag to Africa. We are having a fruitful conversation to bring about a health partnership with the NFL as well as we have discussed a possibility of a partnership with the CFL.
The potential partnership with the most prestigious leagues across the globe: NFL and the CFL – is a major source of encouragement for football development in Africa and we are excited about the timing.
Have you spoken to any past or current NFL Players- have any helped on their own in any way?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to speak to a couple of ex-NFL players and have a couple of them now amongst us as Advisory Board Members: Coach Doug Cosbie, Coach Tony Cichoke, Coach Ricky Hunley; together with our other coacheshave put up a “ Virtual Coaches Clinic” to train the coaches across six African States Federations. Other ex-NFL players I have spoken to are: LaVar Arrington, Osi Umenyiora, and Emeka Okoye. LaVar Arrington, through his Xtreme Procision platform supported our program with a couple of balls and printed T-Shirts and two tackle shields.
There are a number of African players who made it in the NFL –Okoye, Gbaja-Biamila and a number of Steelers including Gary Anderson, Adeniyi, Nkwenti, Okorafor….. how have these players helped pave the way for your players?
The aforementioned players have always served as mentors to the young African football athletes even though they never had an opportunity to see them play nor have any contact with them. But knowing their heritage and equally being successful as African migrants and exports to the USA, they are motivated to be the next kid on the block with an American dream and to find success.
The kids want to play football at the topmost level, which is the NFL, and are motivated to explore their talent if given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are hungry, talented, humble and teachable with no distractions whatsoever to achieve their dream of becoming great football stars and mentors to their communities’ back home in Africa.
What are some of the big success stories so far?
Some of the biggest success comes with a lot of excitement. To pioneer and found the first ever tackle football team: Zaria Titanz in West Africa is a huge success for me in the year 2011. The team was adopted and given a home by the biggest university in West-Africa; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. Subsequently I have equally helped create other teams in Nigeria. The Zaria Titans were able to play the first ever organized football inter club friendly game in West Africa on March 5th, 2016 at their fortress the A.B.U Gymnasium Zaria, Kaduna State Nigeria.
We have been organizing football combines and clinics for the past decade now with athletes across the country traveling to our camp locations at the National Stadium Abuja the federal Capital Territory of Nigeria for a five days camp where a pool of elite athletes are given the opportunity to hone their skills as well as receive attention from a pool of international scouts whom seek to scout elite and prospective talent – diamonds in the rough. We have, through the support of the US Mission ,been endorsed by the US Embassy in Nigeria and have received grants in financial help to supports our football projects in the year 2016, 2017.
We have equally been able to inaugurate the first ever Youth Football League with over 700 kids signed up to our program in the year 2017; and have created eight full tackle teams from those pool of kids aged 6-13 years old. AFFAM has recorded a lot of successes across the borders with Ghana where we have hosted a football clinic for kids at Cape Coast Ghana in 2017; and lately to Kampala, Uganda where we have helped the federation to train there would be coaches (organizing a coaches/officiators clinic) that have about a hundred rookie coaches trained and we equally visited the northern region: Lira, to have a firsthand demonstration of the game at three secondary school: with one mixed school: Lira Technical college, one all boys school: Comboni secondary school; and one all-girls school: St. Katrina Girls secondary School; whom happen to be the first female school adopting football in Africa and we are proud of the girls at St. Katrina secondary school.
Today and ongoing is the Alliance made with five federations across the African continent to help them in their football development, and we have a MoU with the following federations: American Football Federation of Ghana (AFFG); American Football Federation of Uganda (AFFU); Cameroon American Football Association (CAFA); Nigeria Federation of American Football (NFAF) and Gridiron South Africa (GSA). Together we are currently having a joint virtual football coaches’ clinic organized by
AFFAM and International American Football Academy (IAFA) have a three month intensive online program that will equally see our team of expertise make a trip to the various countries to proceed with the technicalities of our curriculum and capacity building exercises.
What are the next steps for the program?
The much anticipated “NFL FLAG in Africa”; will be the success of the century for football development here in Africa. This will see for the first time the NFL moved so close to Africa and Africa closer to the NFL; to me it is priceless and a worthwhile venture/ investment to be part of and to initiate that will see football grow at an exponential form and to compete with other sports like soccer and basketball, which are well established sports in Africa. We wish to begin in the new year a Pan African Football League with the NFL at the center of it all. This will be more appealing to the African youths whom have come to love football and willing to make a career out of football.
We are equally looking at establishing a football institution/academy in the mode of the IMG Academy in the USA; the initiative have seen us received approvals from the Federal Ministry of Education here in Nigeria to incorporate football in the school’s curriculum starting with the schools in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja Nigeria. This will be the first ever football academy across Africa and will be fostering and exchange programs with schools in the United States.