‘We Don’t Live in Nigeria, Pay Us in Dollars’ – Super Falcons Reject Naira Payment of $100k Gift

The Super Falcons have rejected the Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) attempt to pay President Bola Tinubu’s $100,000 reward in Naira, insisting that the funds must be disbursed in dollars.

Sports analyst Aron Akerejola, speaking on Arise TV, clarified that the delay in payment was not due to negligence but because the players refused to accept local currency.

“The untold part of the story is that the money was made available,” Aron explained. “The NFF proposed paying the allowances in Naira at ₦1,530 per dollar, but the players declined, asking, ‘We don’t live in Nigeria. What will we do with Naira?’”

He further revealed that the NFF subsequently transferred the funds to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for conversion into dollars, which caused additional delays. “It’s not the fault of the NFF. The government released the money, but the players rejected Naira. That’s why it dragged on,” he said.

Team captain Rasheedat Ajibade had earlier confirmed that the squad had yet to receive Tinubu’s promised $100,000 reward. “We have not received our money, but hopefully, it will be paid,” she told reporters.

President Tinubu had announced the cash gift, alongside national honours and housing benefits, after the team’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in Morocco.