On July 25, 2025, President Bola Tinubu made it known that every member of Nigeria’s victorious women’s national football team will be given $100,000 as a reward for their triumph at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
During a special ceremony at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the Super Falcons were felicitated for their historic achievement, the announcement was made.
The Nigerian squad beat Morocco in the tournament final to lift their twelfth WAFCON trophy and reestablish their position as Africa’s top women’s football nation. President Tinubu commended the players for the high standards of their commitment and described their triumph as a manifestation of national excellence and pride.
This generous offer of money is to a great extent part of a different national thought on women’s games in Nigeria. Furthermore, the president also made an announcement of government’s continuous investment in the building of women’s football facilities and programs across the country.
The captain of the team, Onome Ebi, feeling elated with the popular recognition expressed that it was a good idea for the team and the government to share the same view regarding women’s football advancement in the country.
Happiness over this reflects in the history of the bad relations between the Super Falcons and the Nigeria Football Federation, which resulted from the problems with delayed or non-paid bonuses after competitions.
Such a situation came to a climax case during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 when players gave it out loud that the federation was making false financial promises and a national wide argument about athlete welfare was triggered.
The presidential action seems to be aimed at putting an end to these issues while at the same time, it is setting a new standard for the recognition of sports excellence.
But as always, there are still questions if awards like these will also be extended to coaches and other staff members, though there may be talks about larger compensation packages based on previous government practices.
WAFCON victory of Nigeria is the last nail in the coffin of any African teams hopes to assert themselves against the Super Falcons in the continent’s women’s football scene.
The consecutive great performance of the Super Falcons on the continent has led to them being crowned the most successful African women’s national team, the 2024 championship being the addition to their history making it impossible to rival their legacy.
