President Tinubu fulfil promise, gifts D'Tigress houses and national honours

The Nigerian federal government has officially fulfilled its pledge to D'Tigress, presenting the team with title documents for flats in Abuja and certificates for the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national honour. 

The prize presentation was held today, March 16, in Lyon, France, where the team is currently competing in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup qualifying tournament. 

National Sports Commission (NSC) Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade delivered the prizes, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu promised to the girls after they captured their historic fifth consecutive FIBA Women's AfroBasket championship in August 2025. 

Coach Rena Wakama's squad secured the title in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, by defeating Mali 78-64 in the final. Speaking at the ceremony in France, Dikko praised the government's timely follow-through.

He said, "I thank Mr President for restoring confidence in Nigerian sports and proving that sports can transform lives and livelihoods."

He also assured the players that their promised $100,000 individual cash bonuses were in the final stages of being disbursed.

This fulfilment for D'Tigress is part of a broader, recent initiative by the government to heavily reward Nigeria's premier national teams for their continental triumphs. 

Recently, President Tinubu conferred identical rewards, $100,000 cash prizes, three-bedroom apartments, and OON national honours upon the Super Falcons after they successfully secured Nigeria's 10th Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco in 2025. 

Similarly, the government also recently finalised its housing pledges to the Super Eagles. Members of the men's senior football squad were presented with their promised houses, land allocations, and the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) national award in recognition of their silver-medal finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), a campaign that ended in a hard-fought 2-1 defeat to tournament hosts Ivory Coast in the final.