Air Peace: A Beacon of Hope for Nigerians in Distress, Leading by Patriotic Example
…lifting lives beyond aviation
In a world often marred by exploitation and despair, there are moments that shine as symbols of hope and humanity. One such moment occurred just yesterday – 10 May 2025 – when Air Peace, West and Central Africa’s largest carrier, etched another chapter in its humanitarian chronicles.
Deploying a Boeing 737 aircraft from Lagos to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the airline evacuated 78 Nigerian women – victims of human trafficking – free of charge. The flight, which landed back on Nigerian soil that evening, was more than a rescue mission; it was a profound statement of compassion and patriotic responsibility.
This courageous gesture, led by the airline’s indefatigable Chairman and CEO, Dr Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, reinforced the airline’s position as not merely a business entity but a banner of hope for the nation. Time and again, the airline has chosen the path of empathy, reaching beyond commercial interests to uplift lives and preserve the dignity of Nigerians in dire situations.
Restoring Dignity Through Action
Addressing the press at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Dr Onyema’s words struck a powerful chord:
“They also deserve the best… All of them are going to Duchess Hospital in the morning… Air Peace will bear the brunt of the treatment – not just tests – so that we can release them into society.”
Far from offering token gestures, the airline is underwriting comprehensive medical evaluations and treatment for the rescued women at one of Nigeria’s finest private hospitals. This is not just about saving lives; it is about restoring humanity.
In Dr Onyema’s words, “We want to make them understand their humanity. They were made to feel subhuman by the treatment they endured in Côte d’Ivoire. We want them to feel valued again. Inside the aircraft, they were all very happy. They felt wanted by their nation. Now, when they go to a very seven-star hospital tomorrow morning, they will say, ‘Wow, this is me in this kind of place.’ These are the kinds of things we need to instill in the citizenry.”
That sentiment was evident in the faces of the 78 young women who disembarked from the aircraft to the embrace of their homeland – a nation, they must have feared, had forgotten them.
The feat was made possible through a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, and the Nigerian community in Abidjan. But it was Air Peace’s initiative and resources that turned a logistical challenge into a triumph of national solidarity.
NAPTIP Director-General, Binta Lami Adamu Bello, in her heartfelt address, commended Air Peace’s pivotal role:
“Your partnership is a shining example of how the private sector can contribute meaningfully to national efforts.”
She welcomed the returnees with an open embrace, reminding them and the nation that the fight against human trafficking remains resolute: “To the young women who have just returned, we say, welcome home. You were taken far from the safety and dignity you deserve, but today you are back on Nigerian soil and you are not alone. You are home, and this country stands with you.”
A Legacy of Rescue Missions
This mission is not a standalone act of benevolence. Rather, it fits into a consistent pattern of humanitarian interventions by Air Peace that now forms part of the airline’s identity.
In September 2019, when xenophobic violence engulfed South Africa, Air Peace flew 503 Nigerians home at no cost. Amidst panic during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the airline executed multiple repatriation flights, reuniting families and soothing national anxieties.
In 2022, Dr Onyema dispatched Air Peace aircraft to evacuate Nigerians fleeing the ravages of war in Ukraine. And in May 2023, when conflict erupted in Sudan, the airline once again came to the rescue, airlifting 277 stranded Nigerians to safety.
Each of these missions was marked by urgency, complexity, and immense cost – but Air Peace met the challenge, driven by what Dr Onyema once called “a moral obligation to the Nigerian spirit.”
Carrying the National Conscience
Chief Michael Emeka Onwuchelu, President of the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, described the airline’s gesture as “a reminder of what it truly means to be Nigerian – never abandoning our own.”
Mr Paul Obi, representing the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan, underlined the significance of the intervention:
“Many of these young women were deceived with promises of jobs and a better life. What they found was exploitation. Air Peace’s intervention has not only brought them home – it has restored their hope and humanity. We sincerely thank Dr. Onyema for showing, once again, what leadership and patriotism look like.”
From the African skies to conflict zones across the globe, Air Peace has redefined what it means to be a Nigerian enterprise. More than a purveyor of air travel, it is now a flying emblem of national empathy and resolve.
Setting the Gold Standard
As other corporate institutions navigate the balance between profit and purpose, Air Peace offers a compelling model of socially conscious leadership. It is a clarion call to the Nigerian private sector: that patriotism and profitability are not mutually exclusive.
In a nation grappling with economic strain, insecurity, and social fragmentation, Air Peace rises – both literally and symbolically – as a unifying force. It not only bridges geographical distances but also heals the psychological wounds inflicted by abandonment and injustice.
With every flight that returns stranded citizens, with every victim restored to dignity, Air Peace cements its place not just in aviation history, but in the collective heart of Nigeria.
And so, while fleets may age and fuel prices fluctuate, what will endure is the memory of an airline that chose country over comfort, people over profit, and service over silence. In Air Peace, Nigeria has not just an airline, but a sanctuary in the skies.
