D’Tigress head coach Rena Wakama has expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the full payment of the rewards promised to Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team following their historic 2025 AfroBasket triumph.
Wakama said the gesture’s significance goes beyond the financial reward, houses, and national honours received by the players and technical crew, describing it as recognition of the sacrifices made while representing Nigeria.
The Federal Government confirmed last week that the outstanding cash component of the presidential reward had been paid, completing the package announced after D’Tigress won a record-extending fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title and seventh overall in Côte d’Ivoire last year.
Each player received the naira equivalent of $100,000, while Wakama and other officials received the equivalent of $50,000. The package also includes three-bedroom homes in Abuja and the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
For Wakama, however, the fulfilment of those promises carries a meaning beyond their monetary value.
The D’Tigress coach expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for recognising the team’s achievements and demonstrating that the sacrifices made by Nigerian athletes can be appreciated at the highest level of government.
She also acknowledged the roles played by the National Sports Commission and Nigeria Basketball Federation in ensuring the commitments made to the African champions became reality.
The housing documents and national honour certificates had earlier been presented to D’Tigress in Lyon, France, in March, during the team’s World Cup qualifying campaign.
The final cash payments were credited on September 9, according to the NSC, bringing the entire presidential package to completion.
The rewards followed another historic achievement for Wakama and her players.
Nigeria defeated Mali 78-64 in the 2025 AfroBasket final in Abidjan, extending D’Tigress’ extraordinary continental dominance and delivering their fifth consecutive African championship.
Wakama has now assured Nigerians that the recognition will not reduce the team’s hunger to succeed.
Instead, she believes it provides further motivation for D’Tigress to continue working, sacrificing and giving their best whenever they wear the national colours.
That commitment assumes even greater importance following the team’s difficult outing at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, where Nigeria exited during the group stage.
The setback brought an abrupt contrast to years of success, but Wakama’s message is that D’Tigress will continue working towards restoring the standards that have made them Africa’s dominant women’s basketball team.
President Tinubu said the completed payments meant the rewards promised to D’Tigress had now been “fully redeemed,” adding that administrative processes had contributed to the time required to complete the package.
For Wakama, the government has delivered something beyond material rewards.
The houses can be lived in, the money can be spent and the honours will remain — but for the D’Tigress coach, the bigger message is that the sacrifices of Nigeria’s champions have been seen, recognised and rewarded.
