A Nigerian coach has blasted the ₦10 million donation given to each Super Falcons player by state governors, calling it an unfair reward system that sidelines other sports already struggling to survive, Footynaija.com reports.
The backlash followed the Falcons’ 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title win, which triggered an outpour of gifts from President Bola Tinubu and the Nigeria Governors Forum.
Benue Queens head coach Godwin Tondo expressed strong dissatisfaction with the massive reward package, insisting that sports like handball, volleyball, and taekwondo remain underfunded at the state level, despite producing top talents.
He argued that the ₦10 million from each of the 36 governors could have been better channelled to support state sports associations that barely receive ₦3 to ₦4 million for an entire competition year.
“₦10 million from all the State Governors to the Super Falcons players for winning the WAFCON is totally unfair. Other sports suffer to attend national competitions from these states with a minimal budget of ₦3 to 4 million,” the coach noted, as revealed in a report by Legit.ng.
The donation from the Nigeria Governors Forum was part of a broader celebration for Nigeria’s WAFCON triumph in Rabat on July 26. President Tinubu had earlier awarded each player $100,000 (around ₦152 million), a three-bedroom apartment in Abuja, and a national honour (OON). Technical staff were also given $50,000 (₦76 million) each and national awards.
Tondo, a former Benue Buffaloes player, questioned the lack of consistency in supporting grassroots development. He urged Nigerian governors to institutionalise funding across all sports, recommending an annual ₦10 million allocation for each state-level association.
“Give the State Sports Councils ₦10 million per year for each of the associations and they will not ask you of any money to attend national competitions,” he advised.