According to a report from The Punch, President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday gifted the Flamingos, Nigeria's U-17 women's national football team, Federal Government Savings Bonds worth N100 million each.

The team's coach also received a savings certificate of the same value, while each technical crew member received N50 million in cash.

The announcement was made by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who received the players and crew on behalf of the President at a reception held in their honour at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday afternoon.

The Flamingos recently made history by becoming the first African team to win the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Nigeria defeated Japan 2-1 in the final in Rabat, Morocco, on Saturday, November 7, to lift the trophy for the first time. Awawu Bashiru opened the scoring in the 39th minute before Oluebube Umejiaku scored the winning goal in the 47th minute. Fuki Ito pulled one back for Japan in the 80th minute, but the Flamingos held on to make history.

Umejiaku was voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament after scoring four goals and providing two assists. She won the adidas Golden Ball award as the best player of the competition.

According to The Punch, the 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 was no need to flood them with money that could distort their careers. He explained that the Federal Government Savings Bond would run for five years and attract annual interest of between 12 and 14 per cent. This means each player will earn more than N1.1 million monthly for the next five years, which is enough to support their education and training.

He added that by the time the bonds mature, the players will be adults and better prepared to manage their money wisely.

The presidential reward came a day after the Senate announced a N100 million donation to the Flamingos in recognition of their historic achievement. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the donation on Tuesday during plenary.

The Flamingos started the tournament with a 2-1 defeat to Poland, but they recovered to win their remaining six matches. They beat Korea DPR, Mexico, and others on their way to the title, completing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the competition.

President Tinubu congratulated the team for making Nigeria proud and for becoming the first African side to win the tournament at any level for women.

FIFA does not offer prize money at the U-17 Women's World Cup. That makes the Federal Government's reward even more important, as it gives the young players a strong financial foundation for their future.

From a team that lost its opening match to a team that conquered the world, the Flamingos have written their names in Nigerian football history.

With this reward, the Federal Government has shown that hard work, discipline, and teamwork will always be celebrated in Nigeria.

The future of Nigerian women's football is bright, and the Flamingos are leading the way.