By Uzor Odigbo
One of Nigeria’s notable Indigenous airline, Air Peace has entered into a partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) to be the official airline of the Super Eagles and other national teams, while also splashing N300m on the team
The contract, according to a statement made available to TheNiche is for one-year, renewable for four years and worth N200 million with separate Value-In-kind in the worth of N100 million.
NFF President and FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick, who described the partnership as “an ordained union of two super brands” said it partnered with the airline because it is truly nationalistic.
The NFF chief said: “We now have an official plane to fly the team to and from away games. It is one of the newest planes in the world.
“We are working very hard to ensure that the players in the EPL travel with us to Cape Verde.
“Air Peace has been at the vanguard of promoting national peace and unity. We decided to partner with the airline because it is truly nationalistic.”
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema commended the strength inherent in Nigeria’s diversity, and the opportunities and possibilities flowing in a country of 200 million people with 378 different nationalities, and football as the strongest unifying force.
He said: “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.
“This contract covers all the National Teams, from the Super Eagles to the junior teams. Let me say it here that the Super Eagles will be flying to Cape Verde on Monday for their FIFA World Cup qualifier in the latest brand of aircraft just acquired by Air Peace.”
Onyema, who spoke on the power of football and the glory locked in Nigeria’s humongous human and material resources, said that 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.
“Football is a huge unifying force everywhere and the same is true of our country.”
Onyema 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