President Bola Tinubu has approved the payment of the outstanding backlog of N12 billion owed to Nigeria’s national sports teams, including the Super Eagles. The payment covers salaries for the senior national team coach for up to 15 months, as well as allowances and promises owed to the senior national teams, female teams, and the Under-20 national team.
The announcement was made through a statement released by Tinubu’s Media Centre on Sunday. The clearance of the outstanding payments is significant as the Super Eagles are currently preparing to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to begin later this month.
The move by President Tinubu addresses concerns raised by Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa in January 2022, where he highlighted that the federal government owed bonuses for two games. Musa stated that the players would hold a meeting with the coach and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) officials to discuss the next steps forward regarding the outstanding payments. With this recent approval, the financial commitments to the national sports teams are expected to contribute to a smoother preparation and participation in upcoming competitions.
