The Nigeria Archery Federation (NAFED) has named the country’s most successful archer, Sholademi Damilola, as its new Technical Director. Federation Secretary General Philip Ayo confirmed the appointment in an official letter dated January 6, 2026. This strategic move forms part of a broader restructuring under President Muhammad Bala Abdullahi, who aims to align Nigeria’s archery operations with global World Archery standards.
Sholademi brings an unparalleled resume to the role, boasting a career total of 43 international medals. He played a fundamental role in Nigeria’s historic breakthrough on the continent, securing silver medals at the African Continental Archery Championships in South Africa in 2022 and Tunisia in 2023. His recent dominance includes consecutive gold medals in the compound bow division at the 2024 and 2025 USA Archery Indoor National Championships in Massachusetts.
During a recent phone interview, the newly minted Technical Director pledged to leverage his extensive competitive experience to modernize the federation’s technical department. Sholademi emphasized his commitment to ensuring that Nigerian archery follows the best practices established by the international governing body. His appointment leads a refreshed technical team designed to elevate the sport’s profile and technical proficiency across the nation.
The federation also announced several other key appointments to bolster its technical capacity. Aliyu Garga, president of an Abuja-based archery club, assumes the role of National Head Coach, while Aliyu Abubakar of Shooters Archery takes over as National Captain. Ms. Hauwa Pindar joins the leadership as Deputy Director Technical, with Seun Ogunkoya serving as National Club Coordinator. To round out the department, Umar Abdulhammid and Mohammed Ado will oversee training and institutional sports, respectively.
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