President Bola Tinubu has generously rewarded Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, following their historic victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship.
Each player received a cash prize of $100,000, a new apartment in Abuja, and the prestigious national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). The coaching and technical staff were also recognised, with each member awarded $50,000 and the same national honour.
The announcement was made during a special reception held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, August 4, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Tinubu.
Shettima praised the team for their resilience, discipline, and outstanding performance, which secured Nigeria’s fifth consecutive AfroBasket title and seventh overall. The D’Tigress defeated Mali 78–64 in the final held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, further cementing Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s basketball.
This gesture mirrors the recent rewards given to the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s women’s football team, who won the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Falcons were similarly honoured with $100,000 each, national awards, and housing benefits, though the earlier announcement had sparked some controversy.
The reception was attended by high-profile dignitaries, including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, the Wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, and key government officials. Vice President Shettima emphasised that the administration remains committed to celebrating excellence and inspiring future generations of athletes.
The D’Tigress’s triumph not only brought glory to Nigeria but also secured automatic qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. Standout players like Amy Okonkwo and Ezinne Kalu were instrumental in the team’s success, with Nigeria recording the highest offensive average in the tournament.
The back-to-back celebrations for the D’Tigress and Super Falcons have been widely applauded as a positive step toward encouraging more female participation in sports.
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