By Calista Oyeoba / Posted July 29, 2025
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A few days ago, President Bola Tinubu honoured Nigeria’s female team, the Super Falcons with cash gifts, national awards, and new homes following their historic victory at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). During a reception at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday 28 July, 2025, Tinubu awarded each player the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), along with $100,000 (approximately ₦153 million at current exchange rate) and a three-bedroom house.
In addition, the 11-member technical crew also received $50,000 each, while the Nigeria Governors Forum pledged an additional ₦10 million per player and coach. Tinubu praised the team’s performance as a symbol of courage, resilience, and national pride, calling their 10th WAFCON title “a milestone in sports history.”
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu described the players as role models and predicted an even brighter future, hinting at a possible World Cup win. Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade dedicated the victory to “every Nigerian girl with a dream,” urging continued support for women’s football.
While many Nigerians expressed their appreciation to the president for the gesture, saying it a long overdue recognition of the women’s contributions to national pride, many other citizens took to social media to query the timing and gifts dished out to the female footballers.
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In a viral media post, controversial Senator Dino Melaye weighed , in saying that whereas, the honour was apt, he wondered why the same honour is not accorded thousands of Police men and women who grind serving the nation for almost 35 years ,in some cases but end up in retirement without their pensions paid to them. He decried the inequity in the reward system for national services.
Another X user by the name Olawale Ridwan, wondered why nation grappling with Forex imbalance will choose to reward its own citizens with the currency of another nation and not their own currency which would have boosted the profile of Naira, Nigeria’s currency. He noted, “no advanced country would ever use the currency of another country to reward their people, no matter. Could you imagine China or Russia paying their citizens in United States’ dollar?!”
Another user commented, “if not 2027 in view, the amount is too much. Even 50 million is more than ok. Tinubu overshoots the runaway each time. Not good strategy”.
Overall, many Nigerians are in firm support of rewarding individuals, not only athletes, who bring honour to the country amidst the public relations challenge facing the country.
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NOTE: Calista is a Trainee-journalist who contributes regularly to DDNEWSONLINE.COM from the Department of Mass Communication, Ekocity Polytechnic, Lagos