The Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has said that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Ministry of Finance are working to ensure the timely disbursement of bonuses and other financial entitlements owed to the Super Eagles.
Dikko made the disclosure amid reports that players had threatened to boycott training and decline travel arrangements ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025 match against Algeria in Marrakech.
The Super Eagles qualified for the quarter-final after beating Mozambique 4-0 in the Round of 16.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dikko said President Bola Tinubu approved the Super Eagles’ entire AFCON 2025 budget as far back as November 14, 2025, aligning all stakeholders, including the NSC, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the players.
“The president approved the entire AFCON budget on November 14, 2025. From our end, the funding has been fully cleared,” Dikko said.
He clarified that while approvals had been granted, the release of funds involved additional processing stages.
“Approving the money is one thing, processing it is another, but the players know the funds have been approved,” he added.
Dikko assured that the remaining payments were already in motion, with the Ministry of Finance and the CBN actively coordinating the disbursement process.
“The Ministry of Finance and CBN are on this, so everything will come on time,” he said.
The NSC Chairman said extensive consultations were held with the NFF, team captain, co-captain and senior players to agree on bonuses payable through the tournament.
“We sat down, negotiated and agreed on what the players are entitled to up to the final. Everybody is clear,” he said.
According to him, the players accepted the agreed incentive structure before the competition commenced.
“The players know exactly what they are playing for and what their bonuses are at every stage,” Dikko stated.
Dikko noted that only daily allowances were requested in cash, and those payments had already been settled.
“The only cash request was daily allowances, and that has been sorted and made available,” he said.
He added that match bonuses had been fully approved and were currently undergoing payment processing.
He added that match bonuses had been fully approved and were currently undergoing payment processing.
“The bonuses have been approved. The process is ongoing and the money will come,” he assured.
The Super Eagles have recorded an impressive run at AFCON 2025, winning all their matches so far and scoring 12 goals en route to the quarter-finals.
Nigeria will face Algeria’s Desert Foxes in a crucial encounter for a semi-final spot on Saturday.
The team is expected to depart Fès for Marrakech on Thursday, ahead of the high-profile clash scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Stade de Marrakech.