SWAN, Byblos Seal Partnership For Reduced International, Domestic Airfare Costs
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has signed a strategic agreement with Byblos Travels and Tours Nigeria Limited, aimed at providing affordable travel opportunities and logistics support for sports journalists.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed in Abuja, is expected to significantly reduce the financial burden on sports journalists through discounted airfares, visa advisory services, accommodation support and other travel-related benefits.
Speaking, SWAN President, Mr Isaiah Benjamin, described the agreement as a major step towards improving the welfare and professional capacity of members.
The SWAN President said the leadership carefully examined the details of the agreement before endorsing it, while commending a veteran Sports Journalist Abdulgafar Oladimeji for facilitating the agreement.
“Anything that will benefit our members, we are always interested in it. Having gone through the contents of this agreement, I believe it will help our members in no small measure,” he added.
Benjamin recalled the dangers associated with road transportation and the prohibitive cost of domestic air travel in Nigeria, saying many sports journalists have been unable to attend important sporting events because they cannot afford exorbitant airfares.
“You can imagine our members travelling for thirteen or fourteen hours by road just to cover a match because they cannot afford the airfare. Some eventually choose not to go at all,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the partnership would enable more journalists to attend major sporting events, including the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Leader of the Byblos delegation, Mr. Abubakar Nasrudeen, said the company was delighted to partner with SWAN in a bid to make international and domestic travels easier and more affordable for Nigerian sports journalists.
According to him, the company, which specialises in ticketing, visa processing and tour packages, would offer SWAN members exclusive travel deals that are not available to the general public.
“We are ready to give SWAN all the support in terms of airfare, visas and travel packages. We want members to enjoy special fares and opportunities that they cannot easily get elsewhere,” he said.
Nasrudeen added that the company would continue to explore other opportunities within the travel industry that could benefit members of the association.
Former Secretary of SWAN Kano State Chapter, Mr. Abdulgafar Oladimeji, who facilitated the partnership, commended the leadership of SWAN President, for embracing initiatives that promote the welfare and professional growth of members.
He said one of the major achievements of the current SWAN leadership has been the restoration of stability and unity within the association.
“Today, SWAN is one voice. The association is stable and many people may not know that peace and stability are worth billions of naira to any organisation,” he said.
Oladimeji noted that the current leadership had created an atmosphere that attracts partnerships capable of transforming the fortunes of sports journalists across the country.
Speaking further, Oladimeji said one of the biggest motivations for becoming a sports journalist is the opportunity to travel and gain international exposure.
The agreement comes at a crucial time as preparations gather momentum for the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, with the ongoing World Cup in United States, Canada and Mexico.
The partnership is expected to open a new chapter in the development of Nigerian sports journalism by improving the mobility of practitioners, increasing their participation in international sporting events and enhancing the quality of sports reportage in the country.
