Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, has been promised a cash reward of $100,000 each and a three-bedroom apartment following their dominant performance at the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship held over the weekend in Ivory Coast. The team clinched their seventh continental title after defeating Mali 78–64 in the final, a victory that also secured them a coveted spot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
The announcement was made during a special reception hosted at the State House in Abuja, where Vice-President Kashim Shettima praised the players for their resilience and excellence. In addition to the players, members of the coaching and technical crew were also promised $50,000 each and a home, acknowledging the collective effort that led to Nigeria’s continued success on the African basketball stage.
President Bola Tinubu, through an official statement, lauded the role of Nigerian women in sports, highlighting their consistent achievements across various disciplines. He praised D’Tigress for building what he described as a “basketball dynasty,” and called on Nigerian youth to draw inspiration from the team’s hard work, discipline, and commitment to excellence. According to the President, the triumph of D’Tigress should serve as a reminder that greatness is attainable for those who dare to dream and are willing to put in the work to make those dreams a reality.
However, amid the celebrations, some Nigerians have expressed concern over whether these promises will be fulfilled. Past experiences have shown a troubling pattern of delayed rewards for national athletes. A notable example is the 1994 Super Eagles football team, which had to wait more than three decades before receiving the homes they were promised after winning the Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. Tragically, several members of that squad, including football legend Rashidi Yekini and captain Stephen Keshi, passed away before seeing the pledge fulfilled.
This history of unkept or long-delayed promises has raised doubts among many, particularly in light of the country’s current economic challenges. Some critics argue that such grand financial gestures may not be sustainable in the long term. Nevertheless, for now, D’Tigress basks in national admiration, their latest victory solidifying their status as Africa’s basketball queens and renewing the conversation about how Nigeria rewards its sporting heroes.