KEY POINTS
- Tinubu gifts D’Tigress $100,000 per player after AfroBasket win
- Each team member and coach gets national honour and new home
- Nigeria prioritizes sports as a tool for unity and youth development
President Bola Tinubu has showered Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with a wave of rewards following their dominant performance at the 2025 AfroBasket championship.
Each player will receive $100,000, while the coaching and technical crew are to get $50,000 each, alongside three-bedroom apartments at the Renewed Hope Estate and national honours.
The accolades were announced at a presidential reception held Monday evening at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja. Vice President Kashim Shettima stood in for the President, applauding the players and their coaches for “reminding Nigerians of the power of unity through sports.”
D’Tigress had sealed their fifth straight AfroBasket crown with a 78–64 victory over Mali in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire—making it their seventh title overall.
Tinubu rewards D’Tigress with more than praise
More than just financial gifts, Tinubu conferred on the players and officials the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). The President, through Vice President Shettima, described the women as not just champions, but “symbols of excellence” and “role models for the Nigerian youth.”
“You brought home more than a trophy,” Shettima said during the reception. “You’ve brought lessons in discipline, teamwork, and resilience.”
The ceremony at the New Banquet Hall of the Villa mirrored a similar celebration the week before, when the Super Falcons were honoured for securing their 10th WAFCON title.
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu and the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, welcomed the basketball queens into the hall at exactly 5:05 p.m., setting the tone for what would be a symbolic evening of recognition and reflection.
National development through sports takes centre stage
The President used the occasion to reaffirm his administration’s stance on sports as a vehicle for national development. “This is more than entertainment,” Shettima declared. “Sports is infrastructure, education, diplomacy, youth employment, and transformation.”
Tinubu also singled out Coach Rena Wakama for praise, calling her leadership “quiet but powerful,” and her success “an inspiration to young girls across the country.” Wakama recently made history as the first female head coach to lead a team to an AfroBasket title.
Amy Okonkwo, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Ezinne Kalu, the top scorer, received praise for their pivotal roles in helping the squad.
The Nigerian Basketball Federation, led by Musa Kida, and the National Sports Commission, led by Mallam Alabi, were praised for their work in developing teams, supporting athletes at the grassroots level, and looking out for their health.
As the D’Tigress prepare for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup pre-qualifiers, the Tinubu administration has pledged continued support to ensure the team’s success on the global stage.
“To the Nigerian youth,” Shettima concluded, “let this serve as a reminder: greatness belongs to those who prepare, persist, and believe. D’Tigress have shown the way.”
