Zenith Bank gifts D’Tigress N200m for AfroBasket victory
Zenith Bank Plc has celebrated Nigeria’s women’s basketball champions, D’Tigress, with a generous ₦200 million reward following their historic triumph at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket Championship in Kigali, Rwanda.
The bank’s show of appreciation marks a new benchmark for corporate support in Nigerian sports.
Each player on the victorious squad will receive ₦10 million credited into new individual accounts opened in their names by Zenith Bank. At the same time, the remaining sum will be distributed among the coaching and technical crew.
This move comes after widespread acclaim and commendation from the Federal Government, which had earlier honoured the team with cash rewards, national honours, and residential gifts.
D’Tigress recently etched their names into the annals of African basketball history by clinching their fifth consecutive AfroBasket title, recording an unmatched 29 straight wins in the tournament—a continental record.
While appreciating the D’Tigress for a job well done, the GMD/CEO of Zenith Bank, Dame Adaora Umeoji, said the outfit would continue to support women’s basketball in Nigeria as they look forward to the team excelling on the world stage.
Umeoji said, “Your victory at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket is not just a win for Nigeria, it is a win for African sports,” she said.
“At Zenith Bank, we celebrate your victory – not just as supporters, but as longstanding partners in the development of women’s basketball in Nigeria.
“I hereby reaffirm Zenith Bank’s steadfast commitment to advancing women’s basketball and promoting sports development across Nigeria.”
Responding to the kind gesture, the captain of the team and the Most Valuable Player of the AfroBasket, Amy Okonkwo, appreciated the financial institution for its significant contributions to women’s basketball in the country.
Chairman of the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF), Musa Kida, hailed the bank’s intervention as timely and impactful, praising both the team’s unrelenting spirit and Zenith Bank’s continued investment in the growth of basketball in Nigeria.
“Zenith Bank has shown, once again, that corporate support is essential for the advancement of sports. This gesture will go a long way in motivating the players and encouraging other private institutions to emulate such leadership,” Kida stated.
He also attributed the team’s latest achievement to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to elevating sports in Nigeria, dedicating the victory to the administration’s vision for youth empowerment and national pride through athletics.
