United Nigeria Airlines backs Traders Cup

The Managing Director of United Nigeria Airlines, Osita Okonkwo (middle) and the President of Ndigboamaka Traders Association, Chinedu Ukatu, handing over the cup to the Ojo Alaba International Main Market (Olojo Drive FC) at the finals on Saturday.

The Managing Director of United Nigeria Airlines, Osita Okonkwo, has pledged his company’s commitment to unite people across the country and continent, adding that sports deliver social, economic and health benefits.

He said this during the third edition of the United Nigeria Airlines Ndigboamaka Traders Cup, held at the Legacy Pitch of the National Stadium on Saturday in Lagos State, according to a release made available to PUNCH Online on Sunday.

Speaking on the reason for supporting the football tournament, Okonkwo said: “This is the second year UNA has supported the tournament, which brings together young men from the association’s 54-member markets across the state.”

He added that the major reason for the sponsorship is UNA’s mission to “unite people across the country and continent, adding that sports deliver social, economic and health benefits.”

Okonkwo noted further that, as a way of helping small and medium-sized enterprises to thrive, the aviation company “offered a special travel package for association members, which is designed to help traders move their goods more easily.”

“He said United Nigeria Airlines loves to partner with groups whose members share its commitment to growth and to cross-regional connection. Okonkwo thanked the association for choosing UNA as its partner and said he expects the relationship to deepen,” the statement added.

The tournament featured the Nigeria Customs Service football team, Ndigboamaka All Stars, Olojo Drive FC, Computer Village FC, COPDAS FC and United Allied Spare Parts Dealers Association FC.

The tournament started with the third-place match between Computer Village FC and COPDAS FC — representing the Cooling Parts Dealers Association. COPDAS won by a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

The second match was the novelty match between the Ndigboamaka All Stars and the NCS football team, which ended 1-0 in favour of the latter.

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The final match was played between United Allied Spare Parts Dealers Association FC and Olojo Drive FC, the team representing the Ojo Alaba International Main Market.

After a 2-2 draw between both teams at full time, Olojo Drive FC won the match by a penalty shootout.

Olojo Drive FC won the tournament. UASPDA finished in second position, while COPDAS took third.

In his remarks, the President of Ndigboamaka Traders Association, Chinedu Ukatu, described the tournament as a unity competition, whose aim is to bring traders together beyond the market, so that they compete on the pitch rather than quarrel.

“He said the tournament will continue regardless of changes in its leadership, because the association itself is meant to outlast its members. He also said organisers want to take the competition beyond Lagos to traders in other states, and eventually to a larger ‘5.0’ edition.

“Ukatu said players would receive cash prizes, and the association also plans to recommend standout players for sponsorship by football clubs, since trading may not be their long-term career,” the association’s president was quoted as saying.

The NCS Comptroller-General, Adewale Adeniyi, who was represented by the Deputy Controller (Admin), Federal Operations Unit Zone A, Timothy Worusen, urged the traders to visit the Service to improve their knowledge on legal and illegal goods.

He said the NCS “exists to facilitate legitimate trade and that traders can visit any customs command for guidance on what they may or may not bring in,” adding that the Service “works closely with other agencies, handing over seized arms and munitions to the police, drugs to the relevant authorities, and food-related cases to a regulatory agency.”

The NCS boss also “celebrated the customs team’s novelty-match win and said the Service wants a closer relationship with traders, so that they feel they can approach customs with problems.”