The Nigerian Senate has announced a ₦100 million donation to the Flamingos following their historic triumph at the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Rabat, Morocco.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the financial reward during plenary on Tuesday while presiding over a motion sponsored by Senator Abdul Ningi, who represents Bauchi Central, to congratulate the team.
The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in Saturday’s final to become the first African nation to win the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The victory also marked Nigeria’s first-ever FIFA World Cup title in women’s football.
Moving the motion, Ningi described the achievement as a landmark moment for Nigerian football, noting that the young players had accomplished what several national teams had struggled to achieve.
He, however, expressed concern over what he described as the inadequate publicity and recognition given to the team before and after their historic campaign.
Seconding the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole praised the players for overcoming Japan in the final, describing their performance as evidence of the potential of Nigerian youths.
Oshiomhole urged Nigerians to celebrate the team’s achievement and called for financial support to secure the players’ education and future development.
The Senate also called on the Federal Government to adequately reward the players, while congratulating President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians and the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, on the historic victory.
Akpabio described the Flamingos’ triumph as a major achievement for Nigeria and the African continent, particularly after the team defeated established football nations, including Brazil and Japan.
“I want to commend the Flamingos, the Under-17 youth team of Nigeria, for defeating major countries such as Brazil and Japan to win the Under-17 World Cup for Africa for the first time and for Nigeria,” he said.
The Senate President also urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep the team together, nurture their talents and prepare them for future international competitions.
“The Nigerian Football Federation, under its leadership, should see the need to keep these children together and develop them further,” Akpabio added.
He said the ₦100 million donation was intended to recognise the players’ outstanding achievement and motivate them to continue representing Nigeria on the international stage.
