Why Nigeria should tap betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus to elevate its sports
The Locker Room Bonus is exactly what it sounds like: a bonus paid immediately after a game to every player who makes the matchday squad
For all its talent and passion, Nigerian sports still struggles with a recurring issue: player welfare. Too often, athletes—especially at the local level—go unpaid for months or receive stipends that barely sustain them.
Meanwhile, in countries like Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda, something different is happening. Players don’t have to wait.
They get rewarded instantly when they win a game.
They get paid immediately, right after the final whistle—thanks to betPawa’s Locker Room Bonus (LRB).
The Locker Room Bonus is exactly what it sounds like: a bonus paid immediately after a game to every player who makes the matchday squad.
It doesn’t matter if they start or come off the bench—if they were part of the team, they get rewarded when they win.
The process is digital and seamless, using mobile money platforms to ensure that players have access to their earnings before they even leave the stadium.
This initiative has already reshaped sports culture in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania, creating a direct link between performance and financial security for athletes.
betPawa, owned by pawaTech Group, is leading the way in athlete welfare through its innovative LRB initiative.
pawaTech Group, a pioneering iGaming solutions provider, operates betPawa across multiple African markets, leveraging its expertise in fintech and mobile payments to ensure seamless financial transactions for players.
Nigerian footballers, basketballers and other athletes could greatly benefit from a system that guarantees instant payment after they win matches.
At the Africa Gaming Expo (AGE) 2025 Lagos, betPawa’s Nii Armah Ashong-Katai (West and Southern Africa Regional Manager for CSR & Sports Development) spoke about how the Locker Room Bonus is a way to move beyond traditional sponsorship models.
Instead of just funding leagues and hoping the money trickles down, LRB goes straight to the people who make the game exciting: the players.
Nii and Raquel Puig (betPawa’s Head of CSR & Sports Development) also recently appeared on Lagos Talks FM and Cool FM, emphasising the importance of direct player incentives. Their message was clear: African sports need a system that prioritises the athletes, not just the institutions.
Nigeria has some of the best sporting talent on the continent, but without proper financial structures, many players leave for opportunities abroad or struggle to sustain themselves locally.
The Locker Room Bonus is already working in multiple African countries—and Nigerian sports federations, clubs, and stakeholders should be asking, when do we get ours?
If the goal is to elevate Nigerian sports, keep talent in the country, and motivate athletes, the answer might just be waiting in the locker room!
About betPawa
betPawa is a mobile iGaming brand. It operates across 17 countries in Africa, having opened six new markets in the last 12 months. The brand is on a mission to ‘make betting friendly’ by providing 24-hour customer support, a user-friendly platform, the lowest minimum stakes, and guaranteed & instant payments.
About pawaTech Group
pawaTech Group, co-founded by Danish entrepreneur and investor Kresten Buch in 2015, is an iGaming solutions provider, delivering sportsbook, casino, lottery, and player management software as a service.
In addition to this, pawaTech provides operational support and licenses to betPawa via its African HQ in Kigali, Rwanda. betPawa is Africa’s largest betting brand, available in 17 African countries.
