TheCable

Air Peace has become the official airline sponsor of the Nigerian national teams.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that the country’s airline signed a one-year partnership with the body.

The sponsorship deal is worth three hundred million naira and renewable at the expiration of one year.

“The Nigeria Football Federation on Wednesday sealed a partnership agreement with Air Peace that made the frontline indigeous airline company the Official Airline Sponsor of Nigerian National Teams,” the NFF statement said.

“The contract is for one year, renewable for four years and worth N200million with separate Value-In-Kind in the worth of N100million.

“The contract covers all the National Teams, from the Super Eagles to the junior teams.”

Speaking on the partnership, Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, said his company was delighted to have the opportunity to work with the NFF and the national teams.

“We decided to partner with the NFF not just because we are enamoured by the hard work and resilience of Mr Amaju Melvin Pinnick in improving the lot of Nigeria’s football on the pitch and in the boardroom, but also because we passionately seek a platform to give Nigerians hope,” Onyema said.

“Football is a huge unifying force everywhere and the same is true of our country.”

Onyema also said Air Peace has the capacity to compete with the best airlines in the world and would offer top-of-the-range services to the various national teams.

On his part, Amaju Pinnick, NFF president, described the partnership as “an ordained union of two super brands”.

“Air Peace epitomizes unity, patriotism, humanity and selflessness. Ourselves at the NFF have followed not only the meteoric rise of the company but its patriotic fervour and sense of nationalism. It is an organization that believes firmly in the Nigeria project, just as we do,” he said.

He also assured that the NFF will keep to the letter and spirit of the contract.

The three-time African champion will be flown to Cape Verde for the FIFA World Cup matchday two in Mindelo on Air Peace’s new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft on Monday.

The partnership ceremony which was held at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, had in attendance Aisha Falode, NFF executive committee and chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League; Charity Kadiri, NFF director of Finance and Admin; Ademola Olajire, NFF director of communications; Okey Obi, NFF director of Legal; Alizor Chuks, NFF’s head of marketing; Neda Kheiri, head of marketing, Air Peace; and Peggy Iheagwam, head of human resources.