By Michael Eboh

Aiteo Group has, in the last couple of months, shown commitment to the development of sports in Nigeria, venturing into an arena many corporate organisations had feared to venture into.

Though, the company’s strategy is to be a major part of the world’s energy solution by developing its core asset areas – oil, gas, and electrical power – as a strategically balanced and complementary portfolio of opportunities, it still places emphasis on sports and community development.

This diversity, the company said, enables it to meet demand and deliver value through changing commodity cycles and unpredictable national and world events.

Aiteo’s core business strategies include to responsibly develop a diverse and complementary portfolio of energy assets; to explore and develop some of the most significant high-risk acreages in the African oil and gas basins; and to move expeditiously toward developing new energy projects.

In the area of upstream energy extraction, the company said its focus would be on developing high-risk, high-potential oil and gas basins using innovative high-tech methods.

In the downstream production and supply, the company is targeting increasing refining capabilities infrastructure to transform raw materials into usable energy for end-users.

The company aims to exploit the robust West African and international export opportunities, strengthen its trucking fleet to distribute its products and build a retail network of gas stations.

In spite of these lofty pursuits, the company is still making giant strides in sports development in Nigeria under its social responsibility investments.

Its investment in sports in Nigeria is one of the major planks of its social responsibility programme, which is its commitment to giving back to the communities where it operates.

Today, Aiteo’s support for sports transcends the shores of Nigeria, especially with its current sponsorship deal with the Confederation of African Football, CAF, for the yearly African Footballer of the Year Award.

In Nigeria, the company is currently the sponsor of the Nigerian Federation Cup, and is also the sponsor of Nembe City FC, playing in the Nigerian Nationwide League.

As part of the deal, the team was renamed Aiteo-Nembe City FC, the agreement would also see the company provide a Coaster bus for the team and also deposit a lump sum in the team’s bank account to register it for the Nationwide League.

A notable milestone in Aiteo’s support for sports was witnessed April 2017, when the company signed a N2.5 billion five-year mega sponsorship deal with the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, to boost football development in Nigeria.

This was coming at a time the NFF was battling with financial challenges, facing untold difficulties paying the salaries of the national football coaches. Getting funds for matches was a herculean task and the deal with Aiteo helped saved the country from international embarrassment.

The deal saw Aiteo  addressing a major vexing issue which is capable of causing national embarrassment. The company would provide N500 per annum to the NFF to pay the salaries of the national team coaches for the next five years.

The deal with the NFF commenced May 1, 2017 with an initial option of a one-year extension after the five years deal elapsed.

The deal grants exclusive rights to Aiteo Group and will cover all local and foreign components of the NFF’s financial obligations for the main team.

The NFF deal culminated in Aiteo supporting the country’s flagship national football team, the Super Eagles, providing a support that is unprecedented in the history of the team. Aiteo stood by the Super Eagles, when many corporate entities were skeptical about the team and related with the team at arm’s length.

In one particular instance, Aiteo promised the team N10 million for every goal scored against the Cameroonian national football team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier, to motivate the team towards ensuring Nigeria qualifies for the World Cup and to support the ailing goal-keeper of the team, Carl Ikeme.

Aiteo’s support yielded fruit; the Super Eagles had a near perfect record in the qualifiers, winning all its matches, except for one, which was a draw with the Cameroonian team.

As a result of the success of the Super Eagles, following its qualification for the World Cup, companies are now falling over themselves to partner and support the team which success was spurred by Aiteo’s unflinching and unconditional support for the team.

Specifically, because it is said that ‘failure is an orphan and success has many friends,’ the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, said it was able to secure a combined sponsorship deal of $50 million for the Super Eagles in their World Cup campaign.

This begs the fact that this was the same team, among other teams, that had faced difficulties in securing funds to prosecute some of their matches. A case still fresh in our memory was in the last summer Olympics, where the team almost had an altercation with government officials over a $390,000 cash donation made by a Japanese surgeon and billionaire, Katsuya Takasu, to the team.

This was after Mikel Obi, the captain of the team, made some commitments and sacrifice for the team with his own funds, with the Federal Government and the NFF promising to reimburse him.

Today, some of the companies that have entered into sponsorship deals with the NFF on behalf of the Super Eagles are Simba Group, seeking to make TVS the official motorcycle and tricycle of the team; Nigerian Breweries Plc, with an agreement to make Star Lager and Amstel Malta, official alcoholic and malt drink partner of the team.

Others are Coca-Cola, Wapic Insurance, Pay Porte, Cadbury’s Tom Tom, Peak Milk, TGI Group, Nike, 1XBet, Emzor and Zenith Bank.

Aiteo’s corporate social responsibility, CSR, strategy is based on three elements: giving, educating and support for its local communities.

In the area of giving, Aiteo said it makes donations annually to churches, registered charities and not-for-profit charitable organisations.

The company said it has become involved in various social investment projects, while its core funding areas are in education; creating political awareness and improving governance; arts and culture; and community development.

ln educating, Aiteo said it is committed to promoting the study of engineering in the communities within which it operate, while it is committed to providing scholarships annually for higher-level education.

By supporting its local communities, Aiteo said it believes it is able to empower individuals to become more fully involved in civic duties, business roles and government; engage in personal development through an interest in the arts, charity and welfare; and encourage others to excel in their careers, or to pursue educational opportunities they may previously have missed.

Though the decision of these firms to support the Super Eagles is commendable, going forward, it is advisable and would be more impactful if these companies learn from Aiteo and ensure supports come early and are steady, irrespective of the fortunes of the team.