President Bola Tinubu has approved outstanding payments totaling approximately twelve billion naira (N12b) for national teams and coaches.

Freelanews reports that the Minister for Sports Development, John Owan-Enoh made this announcement during a thanksgiving service to express gratitude for his appointment as a Minister in the Federal Executive Cabinet.

Owan-Enoh noted that no president of the country has shown the level of commitment displayed by President Tinubu in the development of sports in the country.

He said: “The senior team national coach has not been paid for 15 months, the salary is about $1.350 million. The senior national team and other national teams; females, under 20 had a backlog of unpaid allowances, unpaid promises, and all of that piling up close to about N12 billion, the president has approved all of that payment. There’s no better way to show support and leadership than what he has done.”

The outstanding payments include salaries and allowances for various national teams, addressing a backlog of financial commitments.

The minister emphasized that President Tinubu’s support is a clear demonstration of leadership and commitment to bringing happiness to Nigerian homes through sports victories.

He specifically mentioned the approval for the payment of salaries for the senior national team coach, which had been pending for 15 months.

He challenged the senior national team to know what they were doing and that the whole country would be waiting in anticipation of the outcome of their matches.

Addressing the challenges faced by the sports sector, Owan-Enoh expressed his determination to navigate controversies and emphasised the importance of sports in promoting unity and national pride. He urged the senior national team to understand the significance of their role and emphasized that the entire country is eagerly anticipating the outcomes of their matches.

“People say I got the toughest job as the minister of Sport development. It’s only in sports that we compete with other countries and regions of the globe. The AFCON game is around the corner, later we will be competing with the rest of the world in the Olympics and Paralympics; we are committed to making a mark in sports development.” Owan-Enoh

Heads of different Sports’ federations in the country were among the dignitaries that graced the occasion.

The announcement reflects President Tinubu’s recognition of the vital role that sports play in national development and his commitment to supporting athletes and coaches in their endeavours.