Air Peace is set to receive the prestigious Outstanding Corporate Citizen of the Decade Award on Excellence, Patriotism and Best Quality Service at the fifth edition of the Nigeria’s Pride Awards scheduled for November 10.

The First Green White Resource Centre (FGWRC), organisers of the awards, said the airline was selected in recognition of its contributions to national development, aviation growth, employment creation, humanitarian interventions and quality service.

Founder and Facilitator of Nigeria’s Pride Awards, Bonaventure Phillips Melah, disclosed this in a statement on Friday announcing the event, which will be held as part of a strategic townhall with the theme, “Unlocking Nigeria’s Potentials: Pathways to Sustainable Investment.”

Melah said Air Peace would be honoured alongside the TY Danjuma Foundation, Nigerian Communications Commission and other individuals and organisations that had contributed to Nigeria’s development.

According to Melah, the awards seek to identify and celebrate individuals, corporate organisations, government agencies, foundations, charities and others whose actions and leadership contribute to Nigeria’s peace, unity, security, prosperity and overall wellbeing of humanity.

He described Air Peace as a responsible corporate citizen that had distinguished itself through quality service, operational excellence, passenger-focused hospitality and investment in Nigeria’s aviation sector.

“The award is in recognition of exceptional corporate leadership, enduring commitment to national development, exemplary service to humanity, patriotic investment in Nigeria, employment creation, empowerment and an outstanding legacy of responsible corporate citizenship,” Melah said.

He listed the airline’s fleet expansion, investment in aviation infrastructure, employment and human-capital development among the factors considered by the organisers.

Melah noted that Air Peace had grown into one of the leading airlines in West and Central Africa, with a fleet comprising Boeing, Embraer and other aircraft types, while expanding its domestic, regional and international operations.

He cited the airline’s planned Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, describing the project as an important investment in local aviation capacity.

The facility, whose groundbreaking ceremony was held in September 2025, covers about 34,000 square metres and includes a 6,200-square-metre hangar, workshops, warehouse and aircraft apron.

The organisers said the project could help reduce the need to send aircraft abroad for maintenance, while creating opportunities for the training of Nigerian engineers and technicians.

Melah highlighted Air Peace’s international expansion, including its London, Johannesburg, Jeddah and Mumbai routes, as evidence of the airline’s role in strengthening Nigeria’s presence in international aviation.

He recalled the airline’s humanitarian interventions, particularly its decision to provide free flights for Nigerians returning home during the 2019 xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Air Peace also participated in the evacuation of Nigerians affected by the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, while an Air Peace flight brought 274 Nigerians home from Aswan, Egypt, during the Sudan crisis in 2023.

The organisers also pointed to the airline’s entry into the Lagos-London market, which they said intensified competition and provided Nigerian travellers with additional options on the route.

The airline’s support for Nigerian sports and national causes was also cited, including its airlift of the Super Eagles to and from Cape Verde for a 2022 World Cup qualifier in 2021.

Melah said Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, subsequently redeemed a N20 million pledge to the national team after Nigeria defeated Cape Verde.

The organisers also referenced Air Peace’s support for members of the Nigerian military and police, including a directive for personnel to receive priority boarding and recognition for their service.

The award organisers said the various interventions demonstrated the airline’s commitment to corporate citizenship and national development.

Other members of the Nigeria’s Pride Awards Organising Committee include former Executive Director/Acting Director-General of Voice of Nigeria, Ahaziah Suleiman, who is chairman; Voice of America Nigeria Bureau Coordinator/Programmes Officer, Hajia Medina Dauda Nadabo, secretary; and Victorson Agbenson, General Manager of Bronze FM Benin and a staff member of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria.