President Bola Tinubu has rewarded Nigeria’s victorious Under-17 women’s national football team, the Flamingos, with Federal Government Savings Bonds worth N100m for each player following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
The reward was announced on Wednesday by First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who received the players and their officials on behalf of the President during a reception at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The team’s head coach, Akeem Busari, was also presented with a savings bond valued at N100m, while members of the technical crew received N50m each in cash.
The development followed the Flamingos’ remarkable achievement in Morocco, where they defeated Japan 2-1 in the final to become the first African country to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, explained that the decision to reward the young players through long-term savings bonds rather than immediate cash payments was intended to safeguard their financial future.
According to him, the arrangement would allow the players to benefit from accumulated interest while concentrating on their education and football development.
“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,” Dikko said.
He explained that the bonds attract annual interest of between 12 and 14 per cent, providing the beneficiaries with regular financial returns throughout the investment period.
“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,” he added.
Dikko further noted that the investment would give the players an opportunity to make informed financial decisions when they become adults.
“I don’t think there is any father that wants to give his 16-year-old, 15-year-old, 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,” he said.
He described the President’s gesture as unprecedented, stressing that the arrangement was designed to provide the young footballers with financial security beyond their immediate sporting careers.
The sports commission chairman also addressed the future of the team and its coaching personnel, explaining that decisions on retaining the technical crew would depend largely on the number of players still eligible for the next U-17 competition.
He said players who had exceeded the age limit would need to progress to higher national teams, adding that the coaching structure would be reviewed accordingly.
“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,” Dikko stated.
The presidential reward comes amid growing national recognition of the Flamingos following their historic achievement in Morocco.
On Tuesday, the Nigerian Senate also announced a N100m donation to the team, following a motion sponsored by Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the Federal Government to provide additional incentives for the players and called on the Nigeria Football Federation to sustain the team for future international competitions.
The Flamingos’ victory over Japan marked a major milestone for Nigerian women’s football, ending the country’s long wait for a global title at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
