Tinubu Rewards D’Tigress With $100,000, Flats, and National Honours After AfroBasket Victory

President Bola Tinubu has lavished Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, with significant rewards in recognition of their historic triumph at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

At a special reception held Monday evening at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented the President, announced that each player would receive $100,000, a three-bedroom flat, and the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).

Coaches and members of the technical crew were also acknowledged, each receiving $50,000, a flat, and the same national honour.

“You have brought immense pride to Nigeria,” Shettima said while addressing the team. “Your excellence on the court has once again put our nation on the global map for sporting greatness.”

D’Tigress, led by Head Coach Rena Wakama, claimed their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title—and seventh overall—after a dominant 78–64 victory over Mali in the final held Sunday night at the Palais des Sports de Treichville.

The win extended their unbeaten AfroBasket run to 29 games, a streak that dates back to 2017, reaffirming Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s basketball.

The team arrived at the Presidential Villa just before 5:00 p.m. and was received by dignitaries including First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, Vice President’s wife Nana Shettima, and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila.

Also present were lawmakers including Senate Youth and Sports Committee Chairman Garba Maidoki and House Sports Committee Chairman Kabiru Amadou.

The event came exactly one week after President Tinubu similarly celebrated the Super Falcons for their record tenth Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco.

The back-to-back state honours have been widely praised as a sign of renewed government support for women’s sports in Nigeria and a commitment to rewarding excellence.