Edi Umoh
The 21 Flamingos players of Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national football team would benefit from Federal Government Savings Bonds worth N2.1 billion, showing that each player would receive N1 million.
The coach of the flamingos also received N100 million, while the Technical Crew got N50 million each.
The Nigerian team defeated Japan 2-1 to clinch the trophy at the U-17 female World Cup held in Rabat, Morocco.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, gifted the players and crew at a reception held in their honour at the State House, Abuja, Wednesday afternoon.
Also read: Senate Rewards Flamingos U-17 Women’s Team with N100m
“I am here today to represent Mr. President, because we you are expecting to see Mr. President today. You know when they say, ‘If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. If you have seen me, you have seen Mr. President.’
“On behalf of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I am honored to receive our flamingos, their coaches, technical officials, and the entire delegation to the state house. This is actually Mr. President’s banquet. So and I’m receiving you on his behalf.
“So, for all our players, Mr. President is awarding you all with saving certificate of a 100 million naira each. Each of you is 100 million each. You know you are still under 17. So we want it to be a saving certificate of 100 million naira each with a bank.
“So do you know what a saving certificate is? It’s money, but it’s in trust for you. You are still very young. You want to start handling 100 million now? So for the coach, a reward of 100 million cash to you, and then for the technical crew, 50 million each. That’s what Mr. President said, I should tell you.
Also read: Flamingos Win First U-17 Women’s World Cup After Thrashing Japan
“I want to thank you for coming to the State House, and like I said, as a mother, always remember to pray. Don’t forget the humbling moment you stood together and started worshiping that night. So don’t ever forget that. Wherever we are, God brought us there.”
The Flamingos recently made history by being the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, explained that the decision to present the girls with savings bonds rather than cash was deliberate and designed to protect the long-term interests of players who are mostly teenagers.
He said, “There is no need to flood them with money that can distort their career.
“So we are now giving them what we call an FGN savings bond for like five years. That savings bond comes at like 14, 12 per cent interest annually, meaning each of them will be adding like N1.1m plus monthly for the next five years, which is enough to look outside their education, to look outside their training, and then by the time those bonds mature, they are already adults.
“They can make a clear decision of what to do with their own money.”
He added, “I don’t think there is any father that wants to give his 16-year-old, 15-year-old, N100m at this age.
“But you can invest for your 16-year-old so that at 20 they will have money to set their life.
“That’s basically what the president has done at this moment, which is unprecedented.”
Dikko said the girls would not go without monthly income during the bond period, noting that the annual returns would provide a steady stream of funds to cover their education, training and family needs while they remained active in football.
On the future of the team and its coaching staff, Dikko said decisions would be made based on the age eligibility of players for the next U-17 cycle.
“We have to look at how many of these girls are still available for the next U-17.
“If more are still under that age, they can play the next one; better you keep the coach at this level. If they are moving to the U-21, better they go with their coach to do that,” he said.
