By Aderonke Ojo
Players and officials of Nigeria’s Senior Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress, have expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following the receipt of the financial rewards promised to the team for winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s Afrobasket tournament.
The payments represent the final part of the Presidential Rewards announced for the team in recognition of their continental triumph.
Recently, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, met with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, to conclude arrangements for the payment of the outstanding financial rewards.
Within three days of the conclusion of the process, players and officials of both D’Tigress and also the Super Falcons have received the financial rewards promised to them by the President.
Speaking on behalf of the team, D’Tigress captain, Amy Okonkwo, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu, describing him as a father who has demonstrated strong commitment to the development and welfare 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.
“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,” she concluded.
D’Tigress are the reigning queens of African women’s basketball, having won the FIBA Women’s AfroBasket for a record five consecutive times. They won the 2025 championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, defeating Mali 78-64 in the final to secure their seventh continental title. The victory extended Nigeria’s unbeaten run in the competition to 29 consecutive games and made D’Tigress the first team in the history of the Women’s AfroBasket to win five successive titles.
