Daniel Otera
President Bola Tinubu’s reward to the Super Falcons national honours, over $100,000, and three-bedroom flats has triggered sharp public reactions. The backlash focuses on two things: the use of US dollars and the comparison to the Big Brother Naija reality show.
In defence of the President’s gesture, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
“When you remember that Multichoice, the organiser 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.”
The announcement followed the Falcons’ WAFCON victory. Tinubu pledged $100,000 to each player, $50,000 to each member of the technical crew, and promised each team member a three-bedroom apartment in the Renewed Hope Housing Estate in Abuja. Players and officials also received the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
While many Nigerians applauded the gesture, others questioned the timing and substance of the rewards. Nigeria’s economy remains under strain. Headline inflation reached 34.2 percent in June 2024 the highest in 28 years. Although it fell to 22.2 percent by mid-2025, the cost of food, transport, and basic goods continues to rise.
Data from the Debt Management Office show that Nigeria spent ₦13.12 trillion servicing debt in 2024 a 68 percent increase from the previous year. Analysts project that debt service costs could exceed ₦10 trillion in the first half of 2025 alone.
The cost of the Falcons’ reward package, based on exchange rates and housing estimates, could surpass ₦2 billion. But public frustration has focused less on the total amount and more on the currency used.
@Wale_Abdul posted,
“Why is he gifting them in dollars? The richest countries in the world won’t ever make such gifting to athletes who collect salaries.”
@Bolanle_Juwon added,
“Why dollars and not the equivalent in naira? The Nigerian government should, as a matter of urgency, do away with the line of promoting another nation’s currency.”
Though President Tinubu said the players would receive the naira equivalent, no official statement has clarified whether payments will be made in naira or foreign currency.
Under Nigeria’s foreign exchange regulations, such payments require approval through the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Form A process, particularly for services unrelated to goods importation. A legal advisory published on Lexology states:
“All foreign exchange transactions must be routed through dealers authorised by the CBN, and service-based remittances not related to goods importation require Form A and approval under CBN’s control framework.”
Beyond the issue of currency, many citizens raised broader questions about national spending priorities.
According to the 2025 Appropriation Act, the education sector received ₦3.52 trillion — just 7.3 percent of the ₦47.9 trillion national budget. That figure falls below the UNESCO benchmark of 15 to 20 percent for developing countries.
Healthcare received ₦2.48 trillion, amounting to only 5.18 percent of the budget. This fails to meet the 15 percent target set in the Abuja Declaration, a pledge Nigeria signed in 2001 to improve health financing across Africa.
The Guardian and Nairametrics confirmed these figures in independent analyses of the 2025 budget.
Under the same budget, the National Housing Programme received ₦100 billion. Estimates suggest that constructing 40 three-bedroom apartments in Abuja even at modest scale could cost between ₦3.2 billion and ₦4.8 billion, depending on land value, materials, and infrastructure.
The gesture to the Falcons was not without praise. Several Nigerians described it as a rare recognition of female athletes, often overlooked in public policy.
@Ghali_Ismael posted,
“Alhamdulillah Rabil Aalameen for HIS blessings upon us at all times and places. I am very impressed with the way Mr President rewarded the team.”
@IAm_Emma_Eze wrote,
“Let’s be fair, Tinubu’s gesture to the Super Falcons deserves applause. Some presidents ignore sports achievements entirely.”
Still, others took issue with the comparison to a reality show.
@Official_dharmy argued,
“BBNaija is private money. Falcons played for the country. It’s not the same. The comparison doesn’t work.”
@SirDavidBent asked,
“Why is it so hard for the government to do the right thing without comparing it to a TV show?”
The Falcons’ reward controversy quickly moved from football to national economics. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, poor infrastructure, and ongoing strikes by health workers and lecturers, many Nigerians expressed concern about government priorities.
@Ezekwem_Franklin tweeted,
“I’m not against the gift, but that amount is too much for a country whose citizens are living in abject poverty, infrastructural decay, and insecurity.”
He added,
“This wasn’t thoughtful of President Tinubu; it’s not a good way to buy favour.”
@Daroking posted,
“We have underpaid soldiers and police who also deserve better. As much as I’m happy for them, everything is politics.”
One user, @Neville, wrote,
“That’s about ₦152 million per player yet doctors in federal hospitals are now on strike… and the president is giving out such a huge amount to few players! Misplaced.”
@mrbright_OU added,
“₦150,000,000 to each player in a country where the majority is extremely poor? This is ridiculous and a huge waste. We’re not saying don’t reward them, but be reasonable.”
(Source: PM News Nigeria, 29 July 2025)
A policy brief published in July 2025 by BudgIT, the civic tech organisation tracking government spending, warned:
“National morale from sports victories is important, but such lavish reward systems erode credibility if basic healthcare and education remain underfunded.”
Few Nigerians dispute that the Super Falcons deserve recognition. But the public debate has shifted from celebration to scrutiny. How should public funds be used during a time of record inflation, weak wages, and widespread poverty?
Whether paid in naira or in dollars, the true cost of the President’s gesture may not be financial alone. It is the growing disconnect between decisions at the top and realities at the bottom that continues to deepen public frustration.