President Bola Tinubu has announced a reward of ₦100 million each for members of the national Under-17 Women’s Football Team, the Flamingos, in recognition of their historic victory at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The announcement was made by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who received the players and crew on behalf of the President at a reception held in their honour at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday afternoon.
The First Lady disclosed that each player would receive ₦100 million in the form of savings certificates, while the team’s head coach would receive ₦100 million in cash and each member of the technical crew ₦50 million in cash.
Mrs Tinubu celebrated the young footballers for bringing honour and pride to Nigeria, describing their achievement as a testament to the determination, resilience, and exceptional talent of Nigerian girls on the global sporting stage.
The reception provided an opportunity for the First Lady to recognise the team’s outstanding performance and celebrate the players and officials whose collective efforts secured the historic triumph for the country.
The Flamingos made history on Saturday, November 7, 2026, after defeating Japan 2-1 in the final played in Rabat, Morocco, becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The victory has further strengthened Nigeria’s standing in women’s football and demonstrated the potential for sustained investment in grassroots sports development and female athletes.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, explained that the decision to present the girls with savings bonds rather than cash was deliberate and designed to protect the long-term interests of players who are mostly teenagers.
He said, “There is no need to flood them with money that can distort their career.
“So we are now giving them what we call an FGN savings bond for like five years. That savings bond comes at like 14 percent interest annually, meaning each of them will be adding like N1.1m plus monthly for the next five years, which is enough to look outside their education, to look outside their training, and then by the time those bonds mature, they are already adults.
“They can make a clear decision of what to do with their own money.”
He added, “I don’t think there is any father that wants to give his 16-year-old, 15-year-old, or N100m at this age.
“But you can invest for your 16-year-old so that at 20 they will have money to set their life.
“That’s basically what the president has done at this moment, which is unprecedented.”
Dikko said the girls would not go without monthly income during the bond period, noting that the annual returns would provide a steady stream of funds to cover their education, training, and family needs while they remained active in football.
On the future of the team and its coaching staff, Dikko said decisions would be made based on the age eligibility of players for the next U-17 cycle.
“We have to look at how many of these girls are still available for the next U-17.
“If more are still under that age, they can play the next one; better you keep the coach at this level. If they are moving to the U-21, better they go with their coach to do that,” he said.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
