The Labour Party (LP), currently under the leadership of its interim national chairman, Senator Nenadi Usman, has strongly condemned President Bola Tinubu over his decision to reward members of Nigeria’s national women’s football team, the Super Falcons, in United States dollars instead of the Nigerian Naira. The party described the move as “utterly shameful” and “deeply unpatriotic.”
President Tinubu had earlier announced via national broadcast that each player of the victorious Super Falcons squad would receive “the equivalent of $100,000” in recognition of their performance and effort on the international stage. However, the decision to express this reward in a foreign currency has sparked intense criticism and debate across various quarters.
In a statement released to the press, the Labour Party, through the Senior Special Adviser on Media to Senator Usman, Ken Eluma Asogwa, expressed concern that such actions by the presidency send dangerous signals about the ongoing depreciation and perceived lack of confidence in the country’s local currency.
“The Naira has been one of the worst-performing currencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, depreciating by approximately 43% year-to-date. The Tinubu administration, overseeing the free fall of the Naira from N500 to over N1,500 to the dollar, ends up promoting a mindset that elevates the dollar over the national currency,” the statement read in part.
Senator Usman emphasized that publicly rewarding national athletes in foreign currency not only undermines national economic pride but also contributes to the erosion of public confidence in the Naira. She added that the president’s action contradicts the government’s supposed commitment to encouraging patriotism and defending the integrity of the Nigerian economy.
“If we continue to measure value and success in foreign currency, then we are indirectly admitting that our currency—and by extension, our economy—lacks credibility. This kind of policy, coming directly from the country’s highest office, places our economic sovereignty in jeopardy,” Usman warned.
She further argued that such symbolic gestures carry significant moral weight, especially at a time when ordinary Nigerians are grappling with soaring inflation, high food prices, fuel subsidy removal, and the declining purchasing power of the Naira.
The Labour Party challenged President Tinubu to demonstrate true national leadership by championing policies and actions that restore dignity and stability to the Naira. Senator Usman urged the federal government to immediately reconsider such practices and commit instead to economic reforms that instill confidence and pride in the national currency.
According to the Labour Party, the responsibility of the government is not just economic but symbolic—how it chooses to reward national efforts reflects the values it wants citizens to emulate. The party concluded its statement by calling on the president to take concrete steps to protect Nigeria’s economic identity and preserve its monetary sovereignty.