Our Reporter, Abuja
The Federal Government has assured that all outstanding match bonuses and allowances due to members of Nigeria’s national football team at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) will be fully paid by Friday.
The Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, gave the assurance while providing an update on the administrative progress surrounding the disbursement of entitlements to the Super Eagles.
Uzoka-Anite said the Federal Government, working closely with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had successfully streamlined foreign exchange processing to eliminate delays that previously affected payments to the players.
“I am pleased to provide an update on the administrative progress regarding the match bonuses for our national team at AFCON 2025,” she said. “The Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria have successfully streamlined the foreign exchange processing to ensure our players are rewarded without further delay.”
According to the minister, all group-stage bonuses have been fully released and have cleared the necessary regulatory stages. She added that a fast-track foreign exchange conversion process has been implemented to convert the funds into foreign currency, in line with the players’ preferences.
Uzoka-Anite disclosed that final transfers to the players’ domiciliary accounts are already underway, with the funds expected to reflect between Thursday and Friday.
“The final transfers to domiciliary accounts are currently in flight. Players can expect these funds to reflect starting today or tomorrow,” she said.
She noted that the improved payment framework would remain in place beyond the tournament, ensuring faster and more predictable disbursements consistent with international best practices.
Uzoka-Anite reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritising the welfare of the Super Eagles as they continue their AFCON 2025 campaign.
“Our focus remains entirely on supporting the team’s welfare so they can maintain their incredible momentum in the knockout rounds,” she said.
“We move forward with one goal: bringing the trophy home.”
The Super Eagles are currently in the knockout phase of the AFCON 2025 tournament, and will play Algeria on Saturday for a place in the semi-final.
The players had earlier threatened to boycott the Algerian match due to non-payment of their winning bonuses.
