Nigeria’s Federal Government has paid the naira equivalent of $100,000 to each player of D’Tigress as part of the presidential reward promised after the women’s national basketball team won a record fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) confirmed that the players’ accounts were credited on September 9, 2026, with all beneficiaries confirming receipt of the money. Team officials also received the naira equivalent of $50,000 each.
The payment completes the presidential reward package announced for D’Tigress following their historic achievement at the 2025 AfroBasket Championship.
D’Tigress made African basketball history
D’Tigress won the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title to claim the championship for a record fifth consecutive time and seventh time overall.
The achievement further strengthened Nigeria’s dominance in women’s basketball on the continent and prompted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to announce a major reward package for the players and officials.
The package included cash payments, three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and national honours.
With the latest payment, the Federal Government says all components of the promised reward have now been fulfilled.
Players receive $100,000, officials get $50,000
Under the reward package, every D’Tigress player was entitled to the naira equivalent of $100,000, while each team official was entitled to the equivalent of $50,000.
The NSC said the payments were made into the beneficiaries’ accounts on September 9.
The commission described the payment as the completion of the presidential rewards promised to the team.
The cash reward was paid in naira rather than as a direct dollar transfer, with the amount calculated as the naira equivalent of $100,000 for each player and $50,000 for each official.
Housing and national honours already delivered
The cash payment was the final component of a broader reward package.
D’Tigress players and officials had already received title documents for three-bedroom apartments in Abuja as well as certificates confirming their Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national honours.
Those documents were presented to the team in February 2026 in Lyon, France, during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers.
The NSC said the documents were duly signed by President Tinubu.
With the cash now paid, the commission confirmed that the entire package promised to the players and officials has been redeemed.
Payment follows World Cup campaign
The NSC said the cash component was completed after D’Tigress' participation in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany.
The timing means the players have now received the final part of the reward that followed their continental success.
The Federal Government's decision to honour the team comes as Nigeria continues to invest greater attention in the welfare and recognition of its elite athletes.
Tinubu also promised rewards for Super Falcons
The D’Tigress payment also provides an update on another major Nigerian women's team.
The NSC said the Super Falcons, Nigeria's senior women's football team, have already received their title documents for three-bedroom apartments in Abuja and certificates for their national honours.
The Falcons received those documents during the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in July and August.
However, their cash component has not yet been completed.
According to the NSC, the Super Falcons are expected to receive the naira equivalent of $100,000 per player and $50,000 per official before their next official engagements.
Government says athlete welfare is a priority
The NSC said the rewards form part of the Federal Government's broader approach to athlete welfare under President Tinubu's administration.
The commission said the reward programme was aligned with the government's Renewed Hope and Shared Prosperity agenda and was intended to recognise athletes who achieve major results for Nigeria.
The NSC also thanked officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Capital Territory, Housing and Urban Development, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, as well as the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for their roles in implementing the reward.
According to the commission, the collaboration allowed the presidential promises to be fulfilled within the required government processes.
A significant financial reward for D’Tigress
The $100,000 payment represents a substantial financial reward for each member of the D’Tigress squad.
Beyond the individual payment, the package is significant because it combines immediate financial compensation with long-term benefits through housing allocations and national recognition.
For the players, the reward comes after a period in which they continued to represent Nigeria at major international competitions following their AfroBasket triumph.
The government has therefore linked the rewards not only to winning the continental championship but also to the players' wider contribution to Nigerian sport.
D’Tigress continue to set the standard
D’Tigress' fifth consecutive AfroBasket championship has established the team as one of the most successful women's national basketball sides in African basketball history.
The latest presidential payment adds another chapter to the team's remarkable run.
The players have now received the full reward promised to them, while the Federal Government has indicated that similar outstanding commitments to other successful national teams are being processed.
For D’Tigress, the focus can now return to the court as the team prepares for future international competitions.
Their latest continental triumph has already secured another place in Nigerian sporting history, and the completion of the promised reward ensures that the government's recognition of that achievement has now been fully delivered.
