ABUJA, Nigeria — With a record-breaking victory in hand, President Bola Tinubu opted for a grand gesture, but critics were quick to carp.
On 26 July 2025, Nigeria’s Super Falcons secured their historic tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) crown, earning CAF’s newly doubled winner’s purse of USD 1 million—a landmark increase from USD 500,000 in 2022 under CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
Yet, that CAF prize goes to the Nigeria Football Federation; the players themselves received no direct share, prompting President Tinubu to intervene with personal honours and cash.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga took to his verified X handle to defend the ₦152 million reward—plus a three‑bedroom flat, a USD 100,000 bonus and the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) title per player—slamming detractors for lacking “any sense of value”.
He provocatively likened it to the ₦150 million grand prize on offer in the Big Brother Naija reality show, questioning why Nigerians begrudge footballing excellence when they celebrate reality‑TV winnings with nary a murmur.
Historically, Nigerian footballers have not enjoyed such largesse. When the Super Eagles claimed the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, CAF awarded the team USD 1.5 million—about N240 million at then‑rates—working out to roughly N10.4 million per player, disbursed via the NFF rather than the presidency.
By contrast, in 2016 the Golden Eaglets’ proposed N750,000‐per‑player reward was rebuffed by President Buhari as excessive, only to be pared back to N150,000 after economic caveats surfaced.
Tinubu’s intervention thus marks an unprecedented executive‑level commitment to women’s sport.
Many netizens greeted the presidential largesse with scepticism.
“Which one is ‘Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu’ for our president’s name?” scoffed @Daroking, lamenting that underpaid soldiers and police also deserve better.
@Ezekwem_Franklin argued, “This wasn’t thoughtful… it’s not a good way to buy favour”, pointing to widespread poverty and decaying infrastructure.
Others, like @Bolanle_Juwon, took issue with the use of foreign currency: “Why dollars and not the equivalent in naira? …do away with the line of promoting another nation’s currency.”
Yet supporters insisted the comparison to BBNaija misses the point.
“BBNaija is private money. Falcons played for the country,” countered @Official_dharmy, stressing the national pride at stake. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade dedicated the triumph “to every young girl… who dares to dream… to Nigerians,” reinforcing that sport can unite and inspire far beyond mere prize money.
This fiscal show of force may recalibrate public expectations around sports diplomacy in Nigeria, even as debates rage over the equitable distribution of national resources.
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Tinubu Defends ₦152m Super Falcons Reward Over BBNaija Prize
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Bayo Onanuga defends President Tinubu’s ₦152m Super Falcons rewards, comparing to ₦150m BBNaija prize, amid heated online debate.
Blog Tags:
Super Falcons, Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, WAFCON, Nigerian Presidency, BBNaija, Sports Rewards, National Honours,
