The Presidency has defended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s $100,000 (approximately ₦150 million) reward to each Super Falcons player, stating that the gesture is a fitting recognition of excellence and patriotism, especially in light of similar rewards given in the entertainment industry.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, responded to public criticism over the President’s lavish gifts to the players after they clinched their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco on Saturday.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Onanuga highlighted the contrast between the national team’s achievement and the ₦150 million prize awarded to the winner of the Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) reality TV show.
“When you remember that Multichoice, the organizer of the BBNaija reality show, is offering the winner ₦150 million grand prize, you wonder why some Nigerians are unappreciative of President Tinubu’s rewards to the Super Falcons,” he wrote.
Onanuga praised the Super Falcons for showcasing “excellence, creativity, hard work, soccer artistry and the undying Nigerian spirit”, asserting that such achievements deserve national recognition and encouragement.
On Monday, during a reception at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Tinubu bestowed the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) on each player and the technical crew. In addition to the cash reward, he also allocated three-bedroom apartments to all 24 players and 11 coaching staff at the Renewed Hope Estate in Abuja.
While many Nigerians applauded the gesture, others questioned the economic prudence of such spending amid the country’s inflation, subsidy removal fallout, and rising public debt.
However, Onanuga maintains that “President Tinubu has rewarded excellence and the Nigerian spirit. It’s a message that national service and success on the international stage matter,” he added.
