President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Musa Kida, and D’Tigress captain Amy Okonkwo have praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after players and officials of the national women’s basketball team received their promised financial rewards for winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket.
Each player received the Naira equivalent of $100,000, while officials were paid the equivalent of $50,000, completing another part of the reward package announced by the President at a reception for the team at the Aso Rock Villa last year.
Tinubu had promised each player a three-bedroom house and $100,000 in Naira equivalent following D’Tigress’ historic fifth successive Afrobasket triumph.
The latest payment followed efforts by National Sports Commission Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, to finalise the outstanding financial commitments.
The funds were released within three days of the conclusion of the process, with members of D’Tigress and the Super Falcons receiving their respective payments.
Tinubu confirmed the development on his X handle, @officialABAT, saying the D’Tigress rewards had been “fully redeemed”. He noted that the package also covered national honours and three-bedroom homes in Abuja.
The President said his administration had become the first Federal Government to fully deliver presidential sporting rewards of such magnitude within a year, noting that legal procedures had to be completed before the commitments could be implemented.
“That took time, but a promise made must be a promise kept,” he said.
Tinubu also disclosed that work was ongoing to settle outstanding cash rewards for the Super Falcons. He said members of the team had already received title documents for their allocated houses and National Honours certificates, while similar commitments to Super Eagles players had also been fulfilled.
“Our athletes who bring honour to Nigeria deserve more than applause. They deserve a country that keeps its word,” the President said, adding that his promise to every Nigerian athlete was to make the country proud and return home to a grateful nation.
He again congratulated D’Tigress, saying Nigeria was proud of their achievement.
Kida welcomed the payment and thanked Dikko and NSC Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade for their administrative work in completing the process. He also appreciated Oyedele for helping to fast-track the release of the approved funds.
The NBBF president further thanked Nigerians, especially members of the basketball community, for their continued support and pledged to remain committed to the team.
Okonkwo described Tinubu as a father who has shown strong dedication to the welfare and development of Nigerian athletes.
“On behalf of the entire D’Tigress team, I want to specially thank our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for this show of love and support. We are truly grateful for everything he has done to ensure that we receive all that he promised us after winning the Afrobasket last year. This is an unprecedented gesture from Mr President. We have received the houses he promised us, the national honours he bestowed on us, and now we have all received the financial rewards promised to us in our various accounts,” she said.
“We are more than grateful to Mr President, the First Lady, and the leadership of the National Sports Commission, led by the Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director-General, Hon. Bukola Olopade. We are also very grateful to the Nigeria Basketball Federation and its President, Engr. Musa Kida. This has shown us that Nigerian sports is taking a major positive shift in administration and that we truly have a sports-loving President,” Okonkwo added.
D’Tigress remain the dominant force in African women’s basketball, having won a record five consecutive FIBA Women’s Afrobasket titles.
Nigeria secured the 2025 championship in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, after defeating Mali 78-64 in the final. The victory gave D’Tigress their seventh continental title and extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the competition to 29 games.
