President Bola Tinubu presented each member of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, with N100 million in Federal Government Savings Bonds.
Additionally, each member of the technical crew was awarded a cash gift of N50 million, while the head coach received a savings certificate of equal value.
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu announced the rewards on behalf of the President during a reception held in honor of the players and team officials at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon.
The presidential recognition follows the Flamingos’ milestone victory as the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission Shehu Dikko clarified that the decision to award the players savings bonds rather than cash was intentional, aiming to safeguard the long-term financial security of the team members, most of whom are 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, 12 per cent 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.”
Backstory…
The reward comes as Nigeria’s Flamingos won the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, defeating Japan 2–1 in an exciting final at the Stade de Marrakech on Saturday night to secure the nation’s first-ever title in the tournament.
This victory marks a historic milestone for Nigerian football, making the Flamingos the first African team to win the competition since its inception in 2008.
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