FG pays D’Tigress players $100,000 each, completes presidential reward

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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The Federal Government has paid the naira equivalent of $100,000 to each D’Tigress player, completing President Bola Tinubu’s promised presidential rewards for the team’s historic 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket triumph.

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The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed that the accounts of the players and officials were credited on September 9, 2026, with each team official receiving the naira equivalent of $50,000. All recipients have confirmed receipt of the payments.

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The payment represents the final component of the presidential reward package promised to D’Tigress after they won a record fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title and seventh overall.

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According to the NSC, the full reward package comprised a three-bedroom flat in Abuja, national honours of the Order of the Niger (OON), and cash payments of $100,000 for each player and $50,000 for each official.

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The commission said the players and officials had earlier received the title documents, including Certificates of Occupancy, for their three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates of national honours in February 2026.

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The documents were duly signed by President Tinubu, the NSC said.

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In a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Kehinde Ajayi, the commission said the completion of the payment meant that all components of the presidential rewards had now been fully redeemed.

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D’Tigress acknowledged the reward on Thursday with a post on its official X handle, with a caption: “Presidential reward acknowledged.”

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The NSC said the presidential rewards were part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prioritise the welfare of Nigerian athletes and appropriately recognise outstanding sporting performances.

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The commission also disclosed that the Super Falcons, who were promised similar rewards after their 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph, had received their apartment title documents and national honours.

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It said the Falcons’ cash component — the naira equivalent of $100,000 per player and $50,000 per official — is expected to be paid before their next official engagements.

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D’Tigress made history at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket by winning their fifth consecutive continental title, extending their dominance of African women’s basketball.

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