In a daring transfer that underscores the rising intersection between enterprise and sports activities improvement in Akwa Ibom State, Ibom Air has signed a landmark ₦200 million shirt sponsorship cope with Akwa United Soccer Membership — a partnership hailed as a turning level for each the airline and the 2021 Nigeria Premier Soccer League (NPFL) champions.
The 2-year settlement, unveiled in the present day on the Godswill Akpabio Worldwide Stadium, makes Ibom Air the Official Shirt Sponsor of Akwa United FC.
The sponsorship, break up evenly between money and in-kind contributions, is predicted to breathe contemporary life into the membership’s rebuilding course of whereas reinforcing the airline’s picture as a socially accountable model deeply invested in neighborhood progress.
Talking through the signing ceremony, Mr. George Uriesi, CEO of Ibom Air, described the collaboration as greater than a company transaction — a strategic funding in youth empowerment and state delight.
“At Ibom Air, our core pillars of assist are Well being, Neighborhood Growth, Schooling, and Sports activities,” Uriesi stated. “Akwa United is a membership with a proud historical past that’s rebuilding for future success. We’re right here to assist them rise once more — stronger and better.”
For Akwa United Chairman, Mr. Joseph Eno, the partnership couldn’t have come at a greater time. He praised Ibom Air’s dedication, noting that the monetary and ethical assist would strengthen the membership’s quest to reclaim its championship pedigree.
“This deal arrives at a defining second for us. Having Ibom Air on our jersey isn’t simply sponsorship — it’s a badge of excellence. It motivates our gamers to dwell as much as the requirements of the model we now signify.”
Elder Paul Bassey, Commissioner for Sports activities, described the partnership as a achievement of the state authorities’s long-term sports activities imaginative and prescient underneath the ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno, which promotes non-public sector participation in sports activities improvement.
“This collaboration represents a significant leap ahead. It aligns completely with our aim to construct globally aggressive sports activities establishments in Akwa Ibom,” Bassey said. “It’s a mannequin for a way company our bodies can actively assist sports activities whereas strengthening their model impression.”
The ceremony additionally featured the revealing of Akwa United’s new residence and away jerseys branded with Ibom Air’s emblem, the inauguration of working committees to supervise the implementation of the sponsorship, and an interactive media session.
A Partnership Past the Pitch
This deal indicators a deeper convergence between the non-public and public sectors in Akwa Ibom, setting a precedent for different state-owned enterprises and firms to spend money on native sports activities.
For Ibom Air — an airline identified for its punctuality, security, and customer support excellence — the partnership is a robust model assertion that extends its company id past aviation into neighborhood improvement.
In the meantime, Akwa United, with its embellished historical past — NPFL champions in 2021 and FA Cup winners in 2015 and 2017 — now embarks on a brand new chapter fueled by company confidence and strategic assist.
As each establishments soar towards new horizons, one factor is obvious: the Ibom Air–Akwa United alliance is greater than a sponsorship; it’s a blueprint for sustainable sports activities improvement pushed by homegrown partnerships.
