March 16, (THEWILL) — Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have been presented with certificates of national honours and title documents for Abuja properties in Lyon, France, where they are currently competing in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
The documents were handed over on Sunday by National Sports Commission Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and Director-General Hon. Bukola Olopade. The presentation fulfils pledges made by President Bola Tinubu following D’Tigress’s triumph at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket championship.
The team defended their continental title last August, defeating Mali 78-64 in the final to claim a fifth consecutive AfroBasket crown to become the first African side to qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup pre-qualifiers. President Tinubu approved the Officer of the Order of the Niger for each player and technical crew member, along with a three-bedroom Abuja apartment and a cash sum equivalent to $100,000 per player, with coaches and technical staff to receive $50,000 each. Officials confirmed the cash awards remain in the final stages of processing.
Dikko thanked the president for “restoring confidence in Nigerian sports and proving that sports can transform lives and livelihoods”, while Olopade framed the occasion within a broader drive to bring sports development in Nigeria to global standards, with athlete welfare at its core. Nigeria Basketball Federation president Musa Kida also voiced gratitude to the president for prioritising athletes.
Head coach Rena Wakama assured Nigerians that the team would “continue to make the country proud”, and captain Amy Okonkwo, speaking on behalf of the players, pledged their “unwavering commitment to national success”. The federal government has not yet released details on individual beneficiaries or the precise timeline for cash disbursements.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
