By Samuel Akpan
Six days before the 2026 Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow, Nigeria has rolled out a landmark welfare package for Team Nigeria to support athletes, drive peak performance and reward excellence at the highest level.
The package was approved by the National Sports Commission (NSC) under the leadership of the Chairman, Shehu Dikko and Director General Bukola Olopade on Friday.
It brings major upgrades across travel support, camping allowances, competition incentives and performance rewards, reflecting the Federal Government’s commitment to athlete welfare and sporting excellence.
Persecondnews reports that in a major departure from past arrangements, every athlete and official received N250,000 to cover flights to the national camp in Abuja.
Each person was also given an additional N250,000 to book return flights home early after the Games.
Local camping allowances were sharply increased from the previous daily range of N1,000–N2,000 to N5,000 for athletes and N7,500 for officials.
The payments have already been made and are in the pockets of the beneficiaries.
Sources at NSC told Persecondnews that world record holder Tobi Amusan has arrived at Team Nigeria’s camp in Aberdeen, Scotland, to begin the final phase of preparations.
She remains one of the country’s strongest medal hopes and is aiming to add another major international title to her career.
The Commission secured a dedicated 21-day high-performance training camp in Aberdeen, giving athletes access to world-class facilities in an environment built for peak performance.
At the overseas camp, athletes receive a daily allowance of $150 while coaches get $200.
Most payments have been completed, with only a few outstanding cases caused by banking issues now being resolved through the respective National Sports Federations.
Competition allowances for the Games have also been raised with athletes receiving $200 per day and coaches $250 per day, an increase from the $150 and $200 rates paid at the Birmingham 2022 edition.
Team Nigeria has been kitted with upgraded PUMA competition apparel comprising about 20 items per person, including premium luggage and two durable travel boxes, marking a clear improvement over previous editions.
To drive podium results, the Federal Government approved enhanced medal rewards. Gold medalists will receive an instant $3,000, silver medalists $2,000 and bronze medalists $1,000, with coaches receiving corresponding amounts.
Medal-winning athletes will also receive separate performance bonuses paid directly into their bank accounts: $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to host Team Nigeria’s medal winners after the Games to honour their achievements and service to the country.
This comprehensive welfare package demonstrates the Federal Government’s determination to place athletes at the centre of sports development, reward excellence and give Nigerian competitors the full backing needed to succeed on the Commonwealth stage.
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