Air Peace airline yesterday signed a renewable sponsorship agreement with the Nigerian Football Federation ,NFF . The agreement makes Air Peace the official airline sponsor of the country’s national teams. The sponsorship agreement which is for a four year period , is renewable every year. Stakeholders have described the agreement as timely as it is coming ahead of Nigeria world cup qualifiers against Liberia, Cape Verde and the Central African Republic. Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony in Lagos, the President of Nigerian Football Federation ,NFF, Amaju Melvin Pennick said the ” initial agreement ” is worth 300 million naira with additional benefits to the country’s national teams.
Pennick who was accompanied to the signing ceremony by Super Eagles stars of Alex Iwobi, Tyron Ebuehi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Joe Aribo said the partnership was timely as Nigerian players will fly to the Cape Verde match onboard the airline’s brand new Embraer E195. The NFF President said “we are happy because Air Peace epitomises unity, Air Peace epitomises warmness, Air Peace epitomised humanity, Air Peace epitomises nationality and Air Peace is all about 100% 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 get there.”
Responding, Air Peace chairman, Barrister Allen Onyema said it has always been his aspiration to contribute and support national aspirations like the super Eagles and other national teams. Onyema said “We are investing so much in this sponsorship and partnership in this sisters times because we want to restore hope to the country. We believe in Nigeria and the Nigeria project. People are losing hope in the country. But I believe in the greatness of the country. Nigeria is the envy of other nations and I believe we can all contribute in our ways to make it great. The Super Eagles is the symbol of our unity. When they are playing, we forget our differences and cheer them as one. We forget where we come from ; whether we are Igbos, Hausa, Yoruba, Ijaw, kanuri etc becomes secondary”. He therefore tasked the Super Eagle to keep the Nigeria dream alive and hope in the country ” by going to Cape Verde and trouncing them and eventually qualifying for the world cup in Qatar”.
