The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, publicly defended the generous reward package given to Nigeria’s Super Falcons following their victory at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Onanuga responded to criticism by highlighting a ₦150 million grand prize awarded to the winner of the popular reality TV show Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), emphasizing the precedent of large cash prizes in Nigerian culture.
Onanuga pointed out the irony of Nigerians celebrating the ₦150 million BBNaija prize while being unappreciative of President Bola Tinubu’s rewarding of the Super Falcons’ excellence, creativity, hard work, and national pride. The President awarded each player $100,000 in cash, coaches and support staff $50,000 each, conferred them the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) national honour, and granted each player a three-bedroom apartment under a Federal Government housing scheme.
This defense frames the rewards as fitting recognition for outstanding sporting achievement on the global stage and underscores the importance of honoring national heroes just as popular entertainment champions are rewarded.
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