BEREA, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns, in partnership with the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA), announce the official launch of the Gridiron Gems program—a pioneering initiative designed to empower women in flag football across Nigeria.
This Gridiron Gems program was built to nurture talent, develop essential skills, and create pathways for female athletes in flag football. The program is encompassed by four pillars: skill development through specialized coaching, dynamic networking opportunities, access to scholarships and educational resources, and comprehensive training for referees and coaches. Gridiron Gems is set to drive both athletic and personal growth.
"NAFA's Gridiron Gems is more than a program; it is a movement. I've seen firsthand the power of sport to transform lives," said Babajide Akeredolu, President, Nigerian American Football Association. "Gridiron Gems is our commitment to ensuring every girl has the chance to be seen, heard, and celebrated on and off the field. We are creating an environment where women can lead, excel, and shape their own narratives through sport. This effort represents an investment in the future—built around flag football and also in leadership, equity, and national development. Our program beneficiaries will include players, coaches, and referees, who will serve as pioneers in their respective roles."
The launch event will take place over two days in Lagos, Nigeria, and serve as an action to create local and global awareness. Day one includes a Coaches Clinic designed to equip coaches and players with advanced training techniques and leadership skills on Tuesday April 15. Followed by a full day event on Wednesday, April 16, featuring a welcoming reception, an opening ceremony, and multiple panels spotlighting the program's core pillars. The highlight of day two will include a virtual panel discussion, "Visibility and Innovation: Amplifying Women's Voices in Sports," where six Browns employees will share insights into driving change, enhancing visibility, and championing opportunities for women in sports.
"Our partnership with NAFA to launch Gridiron Gems reflects our commitment to empowering the growth of flag, particularly girls flag as the sport continues to gain momentum globally," said Brent Rossi, Haslam Sports Group Senior Vice President of Marketing and Media. "Together, we're working to build a legacy of leadership and opportunity as we continue to commit to growing the sport of football and the Cleveland Browns footprint in Nigeria."
The Browns involvement extends beyond the launch of Gridiron Gems with their continued support to NAFA's initiatives of integrating women into national leagues, youth development programs, and international competition preparation—including support for Nigeria's Women's National Flag Football Team. The Browns were granted international marketing rights in March of 2024, as part of the NFL's Global Marketing Program, where they can gain international markets for marketing, fan engagement and commercialization activations as part of an important, long-term strategic effort to enable clubs to build their brands globally while driving NFL fan growth beyond the United States.
About the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA):
The Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA) is Nigeria's only National body dedicated to growing the game of American Football. Established in 2019 by Babajide Akeredolu, Seye Obatolu and Lawrence Ojaideh, its vision is to create opportunities through the game of American football and it achieves this through its mission mantra tagged "The HUDDLE Way" an acronym for Health, Unity, Diversity, Development, Livelihood and Entertainment. Since its inception, NAFA has hosted an array of programs dedicated to grassroots development which include its Capacity building initiatives with NFL Flag and its Secondary School (High School) league in collaboration with the Nigerian School Sports Federation. To date, NAFA has introduced the game of American Football directly to over 7000 young men and women in 13 States and over 150 schools. NAFA is an Associate member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF).
