Olopade promises better pay for Super Falcons

The Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, has promised to improve pay for the Super Falcons. He said the details will be shared soon, according to The PUNCH.

Olopade shared this news while discussing how the Federal Government plans to develop sports. He mentioned that the focus is on bringing facilities closer to communities and giving more support to women in sports.

"We have plans we are putting in place for improved pay for the Super Falcons which will be announced soon," he said in a statement from the NSC on Monday.

He explained that the effort goes beyond just major stadiums. It includes building facilities in neighborhoods and helping state governments improve sports venues across the country.

"We are building neighborhood facilities and supporting state governments all across the country that are building and revamping sports infrastructure. We must create opportunities for communities to have access to these facilities," Olopade said.

He also mentioned the Nigeria Netball Federation as an example of the rise of female leadership. He pointed out that the federation has a female president and nine out of its 13 board members are women.

"Our netball federation has a female president and nine of our 13 board members are women. The sport is making history in Nigeria, and we will give them all the support they need," he said.

The netball team is currently playing at the Africa Netball Cup and the qualifiers for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Nairobi, Kenya.

Olopade also assured D’Tigress that the government stands behind them after their recent achievements.

"Even in basketball, we have reassured D’Tigress that they have our full support. President Bola Tinubu has redeemed the nation’s $100,000 promise to each player, and we believe they will continue to rule Africa, as we remain committed to our women’s teams in every sport," he said.

He added that he is focused on moving forward instead of looking back at past issues.

"Look, I am a pathological optimist. I refuse to dwell on the failures of the past. And if I should stop dwelling on the failure of the past, you cannot judge today’s trajectories on the past failures," he said.

He explained that the goal is to reset Nigerian sports around access, athlete development, infrastructure, and welfare. This way, the benefits will reach communities, young Nigerians, and elite athletes.