The President of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Engr. Musa Kida has expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for fulfilling his promise to reward the Senior Women’s Basketball team, D’Tigress.
It will be recalled that during a presidential reception held last year to celebrate the team’s historic fifth consecutive FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title, President Tinubu hosted the squad at the Aso Rock Villa. It was at this celebratory reception that the President made the pledge to reward each player with a three-bedroom flat and $100,000. Today, that promise has been fully realized, with the funds successfully hitting the accounts of the players and officials.
The fulfilment of this pledge comes on the heels of a reassurance Kida gave the team just days prior. Addressing the squad in Berlin, Germany, on Tuesday, following their early exit from the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, the NBBF President firmly assured the players that President Tinubu is a leader who keeps his word, guaranteeing that the promised rewards would be released in no time.
Reacting to the successful disbursement, Kida expressed immense joy and extended his deep appreciation to key figures who facilitated the process. He lauded the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, for their untiring administrative efforts in ensuring the President’s kind gesture was finalized. He also extended his gratitude to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Prof. Taiwo Oyedele, for expediting the release of the approved funds to the team.
Beyond the celebration of the fulfilled rewards, Kida used the moment to rally the team following the disappointment of the World Cup in Germany. He strongly enjoined the players to put the recent setbacks behind them, redouble their efforts, and rediscover the spark that has made them Africa’s undisputed queens.
“One bad tournament in eight years can not condemn a great team, as mischief makers would want Nigerians to believe, ” Kida stated emphatically.
He challenged the players to rise above the noise of detractors, assuring them that under President Tinubu’s administration, Nigeria will remain a proudly grateful nation that consistently rewards excellence.
Concluding his remarks, Kida thanked Nigerians, especially the passionate basketball community, for their unwavering support of D’Tigress. He reiterated his personal and administrative commitment to the squad, assuring both the girls and the broader basketball family that he will continue to stand by them and support the game through thick and thin.
