Photo: First Lady Oluremi Tinubu with a Flamingos player at the Presidential Villa reception in Abuja on Wednesday — NTA News, via Vanguard.
FLAMINGOS WATCH — President Bola Tinubu has given every Flamingos player a Federal Government Savings Bond worth 100 million naira, announced at the team's Presidential Villa reception in Abuja on Wednesday, where First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu received the world champions on his behalf.
The bonds carry an annual interest rate of 14 per cent and will be held in trust until the players reach the age of 18, Vanguard reported. The head coach receives a 100 million naira cash gift, and each member of the technical crew receives 50 million naira cash.
The reception the champions waited for
The Flamingos landed in Abuja on Monday morning after beating Japan 2-1 in Saturday's final in Rabat, Morocco, to become the first African team ever to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.
The reception had been expected shortly after the team's return, but it was postponed because of the President's schedule. It held on Wednesday at the State House, with the First Lady welcoming the players and their officials and celebrating their contribution to Nigeria's sporting success.
What the reward means for the players
The presidential reward answers the question that has followed the team since the final, because FIFA pays no winner's prize money at this tournament. A savings bond held in trust protects the money for players who are still minors, while the interest grows until they turn 18.
The award comes on top of the Senate's separate 100 million naira National Assembly reward announced on Tuesday for the team as a whole, and a 50,000-dollar private gift the team received after the final.
What happens next in FLAMINGOS WATCH
What remains is delivery: when the bonds are issued to each player, whether the Senate's 100 million naira is paid and when, and any state receptions for the players. Peter Obi has also still not responded to the National Sports Commission's demand for an apology over the airport greeting row.
Credit: Vanguard (Nov 11, 2026); Punch.
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