Aketi Bowl: Nigeria’s premier national flag football championship
The grand finale of the Nigeria Secondary School Flag Football League, a national celebration of youth excellence, athleticism and unity.
View season resultsInaugurated in 2023
The Aketi Bowl Championship honours the late Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, NAFA’s pioneer Board of Trustees chairman, whose vision laid the foundation for American football development in Nigeria.
National exposure
Students and schools are seen across the country.
Scholarships
Athletes and schools are connected to scholarship opportunities.
Leadership
Players, coaches and officials develop skills beyond the field.
Community
Local communities come together around the games.
Jobs
The championship creates over 600 roles a year across coaching, officiating, logistics and media.
Partnership
Backed by NAFA with support from partners across sport and education.
The Aketi Bowl through the seasons
Launch at Teslim Balogun
The inaugural NSSFFL season launched in Lagos with 20+ schools, 40+ teams and 800+ student-athletes. Greensprings School, Lekki won both divisions.
Learn more →The breakthrough year
Expanded to 8 states with 124+ schools in preliminaries. Aketi Bowl I was hosted in Akure, Ondo.
Learn more →Aketi Bowl II
Culminating in Aketi Bowl II, where Ikeja Grammar School, Bolade Oshodi won the male title and Army Cantonment Girls Secondary School, Ojoo won the female title.
Learn more →The largest season yet
The biggest season so far: 278 schools across 18 states, with 186 active. Akwa Ibom State won both national titles at Aketi Bowl III.
Learn more →
Season 4 national finals
Held 19–22 November 2025 at the Old Parade Ground, Garki, Abuja (FCT), organised by NAFA with the Nigeria School Sport Federation (NSSF). 168 elite student-athletes competed in male and female divisions, with schools from seven states, including the FCT, reaching the finals through their state preliminaries.
Akwa Ibom State dominated the tournament. Community Secondary Commercial School, Ibiaku Itam, Uyo won the female final 12–0 over Government Girls' Senior Secondary School, Kuje (Abuja), and the male final 34–6 over Akure Secondary Commercial School, Ondo State. The championship also included leadership and personal development sessions for participants.
Honouring the late Governor Akeredolu
The Aketi Bowl is named after Arakunrin Oluwarotimi “Aketi” Akeredolu, SAN, CON, NAFA's pioneer Board Chairman and a two-term Governor of Ondo State.