Air Peace has signed a four-year agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as the official carrier to airlift the country’s national teams on national assignments.
The deal, which is worth N300 million would first run for one year and is renewable for another three years by both parties.
Mr. Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace, explained that the airline took the huge responsibility to partner with NFF as one of its Corporate Social Responsibilities (CRS) despite the present challenges in the nation’s aviation industry.
He stated that the airline decided to partner with NFF because of the lofty drive and achievements of Mr. Amaju Pinnick, President of NFF, assuring that the airline would continue to use the platform for the uplift of the country.
He added that the airline would deploy its brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft to airlift the Super Eagles to their away matches, while the Boeing 777 would be positioned for Super Eagles matches to long hauls like the United States and other countries.
He maintained that the airline is capable of carrying out the agreement successfully, having operated flights to China, Israel and Indian at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to him, the national teams of Nigeria represent hope and charged the Super Eagles players to continue to make the country proud by first qualifying for the 2022 World Cup taking place in Qatar.
He added: “The national teams of Nigeria represent the hope of this country. Whenever the national teams are playing, there is no disparity or ethnicity among us for that moment. I am not saying everything is okay in Nigeria, but whatever challenges we have can be resolved. The Niger Delta challenge was resolved, this one too that we are having at the moment can be resolved peacefully.
“In a multicultural country like ours, ethnicity is a recipe for disaster. Nigeria with its 378 ethnic nationalities should sit down together to achieve greatness. What we need now is a constructive engagement with the government. We at Air Peace are proud of our country and we will do everything possible to support the NFF to succeed.”
He also reiterated the willingness of the airline to partner with other local football clubs in the country.
Pinnick in his remarks said that the N300milion partnership deal was in both cash and kind, which according to him had enabled the NFF to attain 75 per cent self-funding.
He explained that the federation was happy to be a part of the historic occasion, stressing that Air Peace epitomised quality and selflessness.
He lauded the airline for prioritising safety in its operations over the years, pointing out that Air Peace would fly out for their international matches with Air Peace, starting with its Cape Verde match next Wednesday.
Pinnick emphasised that sport development was all about funding, which the NFF is making frantic efforts at achieving.
He said: “We are happy because Air Peace epitomises unity, warmth, humanity, nationality and it is about 100 per cent safety. We have been approached by many international airlines, but we believe in this brand that is now established.
“What we have signed and what we have, we will protect it and we will manage it and our dream has always been to be fully independent and with these and other signings we will be having in the next one week, we will get there”
