The National Sports Commission (NSC) has attributed the delay in the payment of bonuses to the Super Eagles at the ongoing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to bureaucratic procedures.
The explanation came from the Chairman of the NSC, Shehu Dikko, following reports that the Nigerian team threatened to boycott their quarter-final encounter against Algeria over the non-payment of their entitlements.
Speaking on Thursday, Dikko confirmed that funds earmarked for the team have now been released and are currently undergoing processing.
“The NFF, the Sports Commission, the Presidency, the Minister of Finance, and the CBN are all involved. Fundamentally, the money for this AFCON is approved and being processed through the right channels. It’s a matter of timing,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Dikko further explained that although approval for the AFCON budget was granted months ago, accessing the funds requires multiple layers of financial clearance.
“Let me give you the timelines of how the issues work. First and foremost, I must tell you that Mr. President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, duly approved the special budget for the AFCON as far back as November 14, 2025,” he said.
“But approving the money is different from getting the money out. It takes time for the money to be processed through Finance, the Office of the Accountant General, and the CBN.”
Nigeria, who are three-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations, are competing in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
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