The Federal Government of Nigeria has fulfilled its promise to reward the victorious D’Tigress following their historic win at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in Côte d’Ivoire.
D’Tigress clinched their fifth consecutive and seventh overall continental title by defeating Mali 78–64 in the final on August 3, 2025. This victory marked a record-breaking achievement, extending their unbeaten streak in AfroBasket play to 29 games since 2015, with standout performances from players like Amy Okonkwo and Ezinne Kalu.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the rewards on August 4, 2025, after hosting the team in Abuja. The package included:
- National honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) for each player and technical crew member.
- Cash reward of $100,000 per player.
- $50,000 per member of the technical crew (including head coach Rena Wakama).
- Allocation of a flat in Abuja for each player and technical crew member.
The National Sports Commission (NSC), led by Chairman Shehu Dikko and Director-General Bukola Olopade, presented the national honour certificates and housing allocation documents to the team in Lyon, France, on March 16, 2026. This occurred while D’Tigress were competing in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament (March 11–17, 2026). In the qualifiers, they secured wins over Colombia (70–37) and the Philippines (101–84), but lost to South Korea (77–60) and France (93–86), with a final group match against Germany on March 17.
This gesture mirrors similar rewards given to the Super Falcons after their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations success, highlighting the government’s commitment to recognizing athletes who bring pride to the nation.
