Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s financial and national honours bestowed on Nigeria’s Super Falcons following their 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
Reacting to criticisms on social media, Onanuga argued that the gesture was fitting and should not be undermined, especially when compared to the ₦150 million cash prize awarded to the winner of the reality television show, Big Brother Naija.
“When you consider that Multichoice, organisers of BBNaija, are awarding ₦150 million to a reality TV winner, it is baffling to see some Nigerians dismiss the President’s reward to the Super Falcons,” Onanuga wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday.
He stressed that President Tinubu was simply recognising “excellence, creativity, hard work, soccer artistry, and the undying Nigerian spirit.”
The President hosted the victorious team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja earlier this week, where each player and technical staff member was honoured with the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
Additionally, Tinubu announced monetary gifts—$100,000 for each player and $50,000 for each technical crew member—along with a promise of three-bedroom apartments for all team members in the Renewed Hope Housing Estate, located in the Federal Capital Territory.
