Nigeria’s D’Tigress women’s basketball team received $100,000 per player and $50,000 per official, along with national honors and Abuja apartments, fulfilling President Bola Tinubu’s 2025 pledge. Payments confirmed by NSC on September 9, 2026, with team captain Amy Okonkwo praising the unprecedented gesture.
Nigeria’s D’Tigress women’s basketball team has finally received the financial rewards, housing, and national honors promised by President Bola Tinubu after their 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket triumph. The payments, confirmed by the National Sports Commission (NSC) on September 9, 2026, marked the completion of a $100,000 cash reward per player and $50,000 per official, alongside three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and the Order of the Niger (OON) honor. The achievement, hailed as “unprecedented,” capped efforts to fulfill the president’s pledge, with team captain Amy Okonkwo calling it a show of love and support
for Nigerian athletes.
The Rewards Unveiled
The NSC confirmed that D’Tigress players received the naira equivalent of $100,000, while officials were paid $50,000, completing the reward package. The cash was credited to their accounts on September 9, 2026, following earlier distribution of housing documents and national honors in February 2026. President Tinubu, who hosted the team, reiterated his commitment to athlete welfare, stating, A promise made must be a promise kept.
The reward package also included three-bedroom apartments in Abuja, with the NSC noting that the team’s housing documents were signed by Tinubu during the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The payments align with the president’s “Renewed Hope” initiative and Shared Prosperity agenda, which places athletes’ welfare among its priorities.
Timeline of Payments
The process began in August 2025, when Tinubu pledged the rewards after D’Tigress secured their fifth consecutive Afrobasket title. The NSC confirmed that the team’s housing and honors were distributed in February 2026. The final payments were made on September 9, 2026, after the team’s last match at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany. The NSC attributed the payments to due process requirements,
stressing that the government aimed to ensure proper implementation.
Tinubu’s X handle post on Thursday stated, Each player has received the naira equivalent of $100,000, while each official has received the equivalent of $50,000, completing their package of cash rewards, national honours and three-bedroom homes in Abuja.
The statement also mentioned concluding the outstanding cash rewards for the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s women’s football team, which triumphed at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July and August 2026. The NSC confirmed that the Falcons had received housing documents and honors during the tournament, with the cash component expected to be paid before their next official engagements.
Reactions and Implications
The D’Tigress team’s victory in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in August 2025 marked their seventh Afrobasket title, extending Nigeria’s 29-game unbeaten streak in the tournament. Okonkwo called the gesture unprecedented,
noting that they had received the promised housing units, national honours, and now the full financial rewards. Tinubu stated, Our athletes who bring honour to Nigeria deserve more than applause. They deserve a country that keeps its word.
The NSC credited the rewards to collaboration between relevant authorities, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation. Bukola Olopade. The move has sparked discussions about the commission’s reform efforts and its drive towards developing a sustainable sports economy.
The Super Falcons, who triumphed at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July and August 2026, are expected to receive their $100,000 and $50,000 rewards before their next official engagements. The NSC has also indicated that the Super Eagles have seen the promise of houses and national honours made by Tinubu since redeemed. For D’Tigress, the focus remains on their status as the undisputed powerhouse of African women’s basketball.
The completion of the D’Tigress rewards highlights the Federal Government’s efforts to prioritise the welfare of Nigerian athletes. As the NSC prepares to finalize payments for the Super Falcons, the initiative underscores the administration’s support for Nigerian sports.
