The Nigerian government recently lavished each Super Falcons player with about ₦153 million, in addition to housing gifts and national honours, for winning a tournament they’ve already won nine times in the past. While it’s important to celebrate and reward excellence, especially in sports, this gesture feels more like grandstanding than gratitude.
In a country where teachers are owed months of salaries, civil servants struggle to survive, and police officers are poorly equipped and underpaid, such extravagant reward packages raise uncomfortable questions. What would the government do if, say, the Super Eagles were to win the FIFA World Cup? Gold mines? Private jets?
For perspective, the British women’s team won a similar tournament around the same time and received a far more measured commendation. It’s not about being stingy; it’s about being sensible. Over-generosity in isolated sectors breeds resentment and reinforces the perception that national priorities are upside down.
Rewarding success is good. Making it look like a political spectacle at the expense of equity and fairness? That’s not just excessive, it’s tone deaf!
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