The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has lauded Aiteo Group, for the role the energy company played in redefining football in Nigeria and creating the enabling factors which have led to the qualification of the Super Eagles for the 2019 African Cup of Nations after two previous failed attempts.
The senior national team secured the much coveted AFCON ticket in Johannesburg over the weekend after playing a 1-1 draw with South Africa that happen to be Eagles closest rival for the AFCON ticket.
NFF President, Amaju Pinnick reckoned that Nigerians are happy with the milestone recorded by the Super Eagles and has remained grateful for those that have given the team their backing and supports financially and morally.
Pinnick could not mince his word to mention the founder and Executive Vice President of the Aiteo group, Benedict Peters among others staying that the company has continuously powered the national team with unflinching support wordy of recommendation and applause.
According to Pinnick, “Aiteo Group has redefined Nigerian football and have put smiles on the faces of Nigerians. He added that Nigerians are currently celebrating the qualification for AFCON 2019 after two successive misses, and the generality of Nigerians have now joined us in recognizing the role Aiteo played…”
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His words, “Dear Mr Benedict Peters, kindly accept my sincerest gratitude to your esteemed self and the Aiteo Group for redefining Nigerian football and putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians. Today, everybody is celebrating Nigeria’s qualification for AFCON 2019 after two successive misses, and the generality of Nigerians have now joined us in recognizing the role Aiteo played. Once again, I doff my hat and a big thank you.”
Aiteo is currently Nigeria’s largest indigenous oil and gas company by output. In April 2017, Aiteo announced a five-year partnership agreement with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) worth an estimated N2.5billion.
This partnership saw the Group emerging as the NFF’s Official Optimum Partner and funding the salaries of coaching staff of the Super Eagles, a move which is believed by many as the singular most important factor that led to Nigeria’s emergence as the first African nation to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
In June 2017, Aiteo followed up this sponsorship with a fresh N2.5billion agreement to underwrite the cost of the Federation Cup, now renamed Aiteo Cup, which they have taken to greater heights, adding glamour and colour to the game, and making it the largest televised finals in the history of the FA. This sponsorship ignited renewed public interest in the competition with the record crowd attendance at the 2018 final serving as testament.
In October 2017, Benedict Peters took his philanthropy and corporate social investment beyond Nigeria’s borders when Aiteo announced a partnership agreement with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to sponsor the Annual CAF Awards 2018. The event, now called the AITEO-CAF Awards, honours footballers who have made outstanding contributions to the development of football development on the continent.
