₦airaland Forum

When I saw the headlines that President Tinubu rewarded each member of the D’Tigress team with $100,000, my first reaction was a quiet sigh. I paused and tried to understand the motive. These women have made the country proud on an international stage. Their victory is well-deserved and worth celebrating. But as a Nigerian living in today’s harsh reality, I couldn't shake off one question: at what moral cost?

We are a country where hospitals are begging for equipment, where teachers haven’t been paid for months, where doctors are leaving in droves because of poor working conditions. And in that same country, we gave each basketball player a hundred thousand US dollars—more than what most Nigerians will earn in ten years.

That’s where the problem lies.

This isn’t about denying athletes their recognition. It’s about balance. About priorities. About asking if we are truly rewarding the people who sacrifice the most for this country.

There are Nigerians doing thankless work every day. Work that holds the fabric of society together. Work that doesn’t get televised, but saves lives, shapes minds, and secures our future.

Let me name just five groups of people I believe deserve national recognition, and actual rewards, if we are serious about fairness:

1. Public School Teachers
These are men and women who teach in broken classrooms, with no textbooks, overcrowded spaces, and still manage to inspire children to dream. Their reward can’t be just “God bless you.”


2. Doctors and Nurses
Especially those in government hospitals. They work night shifts with outdated equipment, manage emergencies without electricity, and still show up every day. If we can find $100,000 for athletes, we should find hazard pay for them.


3. Nigerian Soldiers Fighting in the Northeast
They live in trenches, facing terrorists, often without proper gear or consistent support. Many come back maimed. Some never come back. Yet their families get silence, not compensation.


4. Police Officers on Patrol
Yes, the system is broken. Yes, some abuse the uniform. But there are honest officers who face armed robbers with rusty rifles and still stay at their post. Their lives matter too.


5. Sanitation Workers
These are people who clean our streets at 4 a.m., pick up trash no one wants to touch, and are looked down on by the same people who depend on them for hygiene and public health.


So while I celebrate The Super Falcons for their talent, discipline, and pride, I can’t ignore the message this kind of reward sends. That unless you win a trophy, you’re not worth acknowledging. That only viral moments matter, not the daily grind of national survival.

In a country like Nigeria, where poverty is widespread, where many civil servants retire into debt, and where integrity is rare, throwing around $100,000 cheques to a few stars, while thousands live and die unnoticed, is a moral imbalance we can no longer afford to ignore.

I believe in rewards. But I believe more in fairness.

Let us clap for our athletes, yes. But let us also pay our teachers, equip our hospitals, insure our police officers, and protect our nurses. Because those are the people who make nations last, not just win games.

The Tinubu government is desperately overjoyed that alas there's something good to be associated with them, hence the over generous rewards...we cannot imagine the rewards for Super Eagles if by mistake they win the 2026 World Cup. The reward will be earth shaking and may leave Nigeria bankrupt.

Abeg where did you read that. D'Tigress played just yesterday and they are yet to even return to Nigeria.

Or you are referring to Super Falcons!

Don't tell me you wrote this long epistle without getting your facts right

It is good the athletes were rewarded handsomely,if only people in other sectors like the ones mentioned in the thread are also remunerated properly as seen in working societies.
But we all know that everything about this government is now geared towards 2027,seeking cheap point by over squandering money when it is not necessary,you can't buy love,do they right things,fight systemic corruption, stop reckless nepotism and tribalism,do merit based appointments with consideration of the federal character,develop the political will to fight insecurity to a standstill,stop the bastardization of our judiciary,police and the parliament and encourage true separation of power,due process should be followed in awarding contracts and shouldn't be seen as a conduit pipe for politicians to enrich themselves,stop reckless borrowing,invest heavily in education and health.
Then I can assure you,that Tinubu will not campaign to win,Nigerians of all tribe,religion and colour will stand by him.
But we all know that he lacks the compassion of a leader and his team are neck deep into corruption that it is almost impossible to do the right thing.

The athletes earned that award, with their sweat for an outstanding performance. Let others too do something to be proud of so that the becoming recognized for their efforts.

That was the 10th win by the Super Falcons. They have been working hard and it's just time for their sweat to turn to sweet. Same with our D's Tigress an outstanding performance making 5th win in a row.

Now let us broaden our perspective, the English Female Football team, Lionesses just defended their Euro Title but they have been complaining bitterly about being treated unfairly because of their gender being female.

The op adjusted the thread .

Back to the topic, how much do.you think some of those ladies are earning monthly as a professional footballer? Alozie, apart from playing football, She's a doctor.

The $100k gifts, how much do you think it's to some of those girls.

Ajibade, Ordega, Chiamaka, Oshoala, like how much do you think they are making monthly, wages plus adverts?

You people can argue that government should increase salaries of civil servants and slash the salaries of politicians, but take our sportspeople out of this SENSELESS debate.

helinues:
The op adjusted the thread .

Back to the topic, how much do.you think some of those ladies are earning monthly as a professional footballer? Alozie, apart from playing football, She's a doctor.

The $100k gifts, how much do you think it's to some of those girls.

Ajibade, Ordega, Chiamaka, Oshoala, like how much do you think they are making monthly, wages plus adverts?

Do you need a job?

agentNija:
Do you need a job?

This is not a job thread. You are not even sensitive enough to know which thread to derail or not

Today is Monday, you have resumed your daily worshipping of trolling.

Allow the girls to enjoy themselves. Normally they are paid peanuts at their clubs. The captain was selling zobo about 4 years ago.

This opportunity doesn't come everyday. They should use the money to set up their lives.

delugadou:
Allow the girls to enjoy themselves. Normally they are paid peanuts at their clubs. The captain was selling zobo about 4 years ago.

This opportunity doesn't come everyday. They should use the money to set up their lives.

They could have enjoyed themselves with about 40-50k each na. $100,000 when we are stîl borrowing and people are hungry may be too much in my opinion. I don't wat h sport though.

helinues:
This is not a job thread. You are not even sensitive enough to know which thread to derail or not

Today is Monday, you have resumed your daily worshipping of trolling.

I want to help your life ok.

helinues:
The op adjusted the thread .

Back to the topic, how much do.you think some of those ladies are earning monthly as a professional footballer? Alozie, apart from playing football, She's a doctor.

The $100k gifts, how much do you think it's to some of those girls.

Ajibade, Ordega, Chiamaka, Oshoala, like how much do you think they are making monthly, wages plus adverts?

Yes I did. Thank you for your keen sense of observation

agentNija:
I want to help your life ok.

Okay. You want to help my life by creating on average of 5 monikers daily just to remind me about my joblessness.

5 monikers averagely in a day and you have been doing this for nothing less than 7 years on this forum.

Who do you really think need help between you and I?

helinues:
Okay. You want to help my life by creating on average of 5 monikers daily just to remind me about my joblessness.

5 monikers averagely in a day and you have been doing this for nothing less than 7 years on this forum.

Who do you really think need help between you and I?

Ignore these people and they will go away. I just ignore and use the block button thanks to Seun

Nnamdipapa:
Yes I did. Thank you for your keen sense of observation

Our ladies have never been celebrated before like this. If you see the way some African countries were just against us, Ghana, South Africa even small Zambia but against all odds, we won the competition for the 10th time. That will take any other countries nothing less than 5 decades to achieve.

The $100k gifts is in order

helinues:
Okay. You want to help my life by creating on average of 5 monikers daily just to remind me about my joblessness.

5 monikers averagely in a day and you have been doing this for nothing less than 7 years on this forum.

Who do you really think need help between you and I?

You need help dear. Please listen to that lady's advice ok.

Mr OP , this giving is a one off gift... While ur afforementioned professionals receive this in their whole working age bracket years..

This girls may never win this event again this they retire.. yes, the team might, but many if the ladies may never again....

If that is a waste in our nation resource, plz let it be . We would rather hardworking , dream-chasers Nigerians get this reward.. instead of a bunch of criminal politicians...

I rest my case!

bigpicture001:
Mr OP , this giving is a one off gift... While ur afforementioned professionals receive this in their whole working age bracket years..

This girls may never win this event again this they retire.. yes, the team might, but many if the ladies may never again....

If that is a waste in our nation resource, plz let it be . We would rather hardworking , dream-chasers Nigerians get this reward.. instead of a bunch of criminal politicians...

I rest my case!

I couldnt have written it more beautifully

I will never understand why anyone would even bring sportspeople into the argument in the first place

OP, I would rather this kinda wasteful investment that have this get looted by some random politicians. They've done worst in the past and nothing was recovered. Make these citizens enjoy their own sweat too

Sport people have a very short career lifespan, most of them make money for 10-15 years at most before retiring, unlike civil servants that can work for over 30 years and this is the first time in our woman would be celebrated in this manner.

Do you know what's making some of our sport people to switch allegiance to foreign countries? It is because of the poor renumeration we have in Nigeria that doesn't worth their effort, those countries pays them better than us . Tomorrow you guys would also be the first set of people to criticize Nigerian government for not doing enough for our athletes and sport people.

Further more many of these women came from very poor family in Nigeria, do you think they will spend the cash awards alone ? A big chunk of these money will go to their parents, brothers and sisters, most of the money will also be spend inside Nigeria economy.

Nnamdipapa:
They could have enjoyed themselves with about 40-50k each na. $100,000 when we are stîl borrowing and people are hungry may be too much in my opinion. I don't wat h sport though.

It sudnt be more than 20k , since they are also getting a house each.. not like its their first title....they have won 10 out of 13...so what's the big deal with this one??

bigpicture001:
Mr OP , this giving is a one off gift... While ur afforementioned professionals receive this in their whole working age bracket years..

This girls may never win this event again this they retire.. yes, the team might, but many if the ladies may never again....

If that is a waste in our nation resource, plz let it be . We would rather hardworking , dream-chasers Nigerians get this reward.. instead of a bunch of criminal politicians...

I rest my case!

I can bet that they will win the next edition... they have failed to win it only 3 times out of 13 editions

Rewarding the girl is actually not an issue, the problem most nigerian have is the insincerity of this government.The present government words and actions are always contradicting, the government made is too broke to subsidize essential things for the common man but they were quick to doll out $100k each on ladies that won a competition that is not even our debut win. We have been winners on 10 occasions; a cash reward of $20k or $30k won't have cause much uproar but abeg $100k too much when we are also aware CAF will likewise offer cash rewards as competition winner and in addition the medal won is a lifelong achievement for the ladies.
Up till now I still don't know how much Argentine president gave their players for winning the 2022 world cup or how much much the Spanish government gave their national team for winning the Euro 2024. If we choose to act differently no problem! I just hope our government pity our poor finance like a picture they are painting to us.

cr7lomo:
It sudnt be more than 20k , since they are also getting a house each.. not like its their first title....they have won 10 out of 13...so what's the big deal with this one??

Thank you, finally someone is getting my point. I honestly do not get our obsession with sport in this country which is a complete obsession with the average Nigerian individual. We are not a rich country and stîll borrow heavily.

Lots of doctors work for 20years and never make such money. We are always trying to overpay snd idolize spier people dhile the real pillars of our society like doctors, teachers and the police did in penury.
Misplaced priorities in my opinion.

Nnamdipapa:
When I saw the headlines that President Tinubu rewarded each member of the D’Tigress team with $100,000, my first reaction was a quiet sigh. I paused and tried to understand the motive. These women have made the country proud on an international stage. Their victory is well-deserved and worth celebrating. But as a Nigerian living in today’s harsh reality, I couldn't shake off one question: at what moral cost?

We are a country where hospitals are begging for equipment, where teachers haven’t been paid for months, where doctors are leaving in droves because of poor working conditions. And in that same country, we gave each basketball player a hundred thousand US dollars—more than what most Nigerians will earn in ten years.

That’s where the problem lies.

This isn’t about denying athletes their recognition. It’s about balance. About priorities. About asking if we are truly rewarding the people who sacrifice the most for this country.

There are Nigerians doing thankless work every day. Work that holds the fabric of society together. Work that doesn’t get televised, but saves lives, shapes minds, and secures our future.

Let me name just five groups of people I believe deserve national recognition, and actual rewards, if we are serious about fairness:

1. Public School Teachers
These are men and women who teach in broken classrooms, with no textbooks, overcrowded spaces, and still manage to inspire children to dream. Their reward can’t be just “God bless you.”


2. Doctors and Nurses
Especially those in government hospitals. They work night shifts with outdated equipment, manage emergencies without electricity, and still show up every day. If we can find $100,000 for athletes, we should find hazard pay for them.


3. Nigerian Soldiers Fighting in the Northeast
They live in trenches, facing terrorists, often without proper gear or consistent support. Many come back maimed. Some never come back. Yet their families get silence, not compensation.


4. Police Officers on Patrol
Yes, the system is broken. Yes, some abuse the uniform. But there are honest officers who face armed robbers with rusty rifles and still stay at their post. Their lives matter too.


5. Sanitation Workers
These are people who clean our streets at 4 a.m., pick up trash no one wants to touch, and are looked down on by the same people who depend on them for hygiene and public health.


So while I celebrate The Super Falcons for their talent, discipline, and pride, I can’t ignore the message this kind of reward sends. That unless you win a trophy, you’re not worth acknowledging. That only viral moments matter, not the daily grind of national survival.

In a country like Nigeria, where poverty is widespread, where many civil servants retire into debt, and where integrity is rare, throwing around $100,000 cheques to a few stars, while thousands live and die unnoticed, is a moral imbalance we can no longer afford to ignore.

I believe in rewards. But I believe more in fairness.

Let us clap for our athletes, yes. But let us also pay our teachers, equip our hospitals, insure our police officers, and protect our nurses. Because those are the people who make nations last, not just win games.

Unfortunately, Nigerians are not at the maturity level you expect for them to understand what fairness is. Many are supportive of the gesture not because it is right but because they are ignorant and feel the politicians loot public funds, a dysfunction which have now normalized.

GboyegaD:
Unfortunately, Nigerians are not at the maturity level you expect for them to understand what fairness is. Many are supportive of the gesture not because it is right but because they are ignorant and feel the politicians loot public funds, a dysfunction which have now normalized.

I do appreciate those guys but I think sport people are overrated. They have no skill to solve real live problems and are idolized unnecessarily.

Sure, they deserve to be rewarded but $100,000 when the average doctor is slaving away in Luth for a pay of N150,000 per month after almost a decade of education ? I wouldn’t even mind if millions of dollars were spent developing our local leagues. This is the reason I never watch sport as I don't see the value in kicking around a ball on a field and getting paid millions in a week. It is immoral in my world view but a lot will disagree with me.

Softmirror:
The athletes earned that award, with their sweat for an outstanding performance. Let others too do something to be proud of so that the becoming recognized for their efforts.

That was the 10th win by the Super Falcons. They have been working hard and it's just time for their sweat to turn to sweet. Same with our D's Tigress an outstanding performance making 5th win in a row.

Now let us broaden our perspective, the English Female Football team, Lionesses just defended their Euro Title but they have been complaining bitterly about being treated unfairly because of their gender being female.

Soldiers that die in terrorism battles aren’t working hard?

Wasn’t it just few weeks ago we saw meager food supplies that were given to a platoon of soldiers for a month? Supplies that can’t even feed 1 soldier for a week.

What more hard-work do you expect from the soldiers?

MoneyMan5:
Sport people have a very short career lifespan, most of them make money for 10-15 years at most before retiring, unlike civil servants that can work for over 30 years and this is the first time in our woman would be celebrated in this manner.

Do you know what's making some of our sport people to switch allegiance to foreign countries? It is because of the poor renumeration we have in Nigeria that doesn't worth their effort, those countries pays them better than us . Tomorrow you guys would also be the first set of people to criticize Nigerian government for not doing enough for our athletes and sport people.

Further more many of these women came from very poor family in Nigeria, do you think they will spend the cash awards alone ? A big chunk of these money will go to their parents, brothers and sisters, most of the money will also be spend inside Nigeria economy.

Very few civil servants will make the Naira equivalent of $100,000 in 35 years.

@OP.

No correlation at all with all you wrote and the universal practice of countries worldwide rewarding athletes for bringing champion glory to a nation.

Athletes who win the ultimate prize deserve it. Especially when representing their nation.

Sheuns:
Very few civil servants will make the Naira equivalent of $100,000 in 35 years.

Sports is big entertainment business earning literally billions for so many on far too many level than can be counted.

Why should the athletes who entertain the world, especially if they win big for their nation, not be rewarded big?

Please stop the 'hater' talk. It makes most of you sound like communists who argue private wealth and reward is a crime and only public welfare matters in life.

Public welfare does not negate the important need to adequately reward elite athletes who have won the ultimate prize for their nation.

Any serious nation would reward winning athletes appropriately so that others would consider it fitting to represent their nation and give their best always because they known their effort will be appreciated and rewarded.