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By Paul Nwokocha
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent reward to Nigeria’s national women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, has sparked widespread public reaction—ranging from applause for the gesture to renewed calls for deeper investment in the nation’s sports infrastructure.
The president had announced a reward of $100,000, national Honours and a three-bedroom flat for each player and members of the coaching staff following their historic fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title win. While the move has been largely praised as a mark of national pride, many Nigerians say it should signal the beginning of more meaningful support for local sports development.
“It was a great thing he did,” said Uzondu Emmanuel, a security officer. “For him to gift them like that shows he’s proud of them. They made the country proud, and they deserve it.”
However, others see the moment as a wake-up call for the government to address long-standing issues within the nation’s sports ecosystem.
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Ogueri Paul, a commercial transporter, highlighted the lack of sports infrastructure in the country: “It’s good to reward performance, but all our players are based abroad. If they didn’t have access to good training facilities overseas, they wouldn’t have reached this level. The government should invest in facilities here and nurture local talents.”
Adewale Praise, a barber, echoed similar sentiments: “$100,000 is big money. The President did well, but there are many talented youths on the streets with no support.
We need more training grounds and encouragement for them too.”
For fashion designer Amarachi Deborah, the reward came as a pleasant surprise. “I never knew we still had a president that could do something like this. I’m overwhelmed. I wish I am one of them!”
While the accolades for the president’s gesture continue to pour in, the overarching message from the public is clear: beyond monetary rewards, a deliberate and sustained investment in grassroots sports, local talent, and infrastructure is essential for replicating success across various disciplines.
