President Bola Tinubu has approved the settlement of N12 billion in outstanding payments owed to Nigeria’s national sporting teams, including the Super Eagles, as announced in a statement from Tinubu’s Media Centre.
The payment encompasses clearing 15 months’ worth of salaries for senior national team coaches and settling allowances and commitments owed to the senior national teams, the female teams, and the Under-20 national team.
The statement released on Sunday highlights the timing of this payment, coinciding with the imminent participation of the Super Eagles in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to commence later this month.
Okay.ng understands that in 2020, the Super Eagles had raised concerns about the Federal Government’s delay in releasing the N1.5 billion earmarked for their participation in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite finishing third in the tournament, the funds were reportedly held up.
An insider from the Nigeria Football Federation disclosed that, at that time, funds allocated for the Super Falcons and the Flying Eagles had to be redirected to prepare the Eagles for the competition.
Additionally, in January 2022, Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa revealed that the Federal Government owed bonuses for two games. Musa, during a press conference in Abuja, confirmed the outstanding payments, mentioning plans for discussions with the coach and the NFF officials to address the pending dues.
President Tinubu’s initiative in clearing these financial obligations to support the national sporting teams arrives as a significant boost ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, providing timely relief and support for the athletes and their preparations.
