The Senate has pledged N100 million to Nigeria’s Under-17 women’s football team, the Flamingos, and urged the Federal Government to add its own rewards for the victorious squad.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the pledge during plenary, following a motion by Senator Abdu Ningi seeking adequate recognition and compensation for the players.
“From the National Assembly, even if we do not have anything else to give these children, we will make a token of N100 million to them immediately,” Akpabio said.
Ningi described the team’s performance as remarkable, noting that the players were assembled barely six months before the competition. He said the victory gave Nigerians something to celebrate and brought honour to the country and African football.
He also expressed disappointment at what he called inadequate publicity and official recognition, faulting the absence of senior government officials when the players arrived in Nigeria.
Supporting the motion, Senator Ned Nwoko described the players as national heroes, citing their performances against Brazil and the United States. He urged President Bola Tinubu to accord them national recognition and called on state governors to celebrate players from their respective states. Another senator pointed to the team’s victory over Japan as evidence of the potential of Nigerian youths to compete internationally.
The Senate also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep the players together to preserve their understanding and prepare them for future competitions. Akpabio warned against allowing the team to disintegrate, saying sustained development could turn the players into a formidable senior national side.
He appealed to wealthy Nigerians and business leaders to support the players with additional incentives.
Lawmakers commended President Tinubu and the National Sports Commission, particularly its chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko, for their contributions to sports development. They congratulated the Flamingos, the Federal Government, the NFF and Nigerians on the team’s achievement.
Akpabio directed the Clerk of the Senate to document the resolutions and contributions made during the debate.