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Nigerians from all walks of life, on Saturday, April 11, 2026, trooped en masse to the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, to celebrate the 60th birthday of Mrs. Alice Ojochide Onyema, the vice-chairman of Air Peace Airlines and the amiable wife of Chief Allen Onyema, the chairman and chief executive officer of the airline. Ojochide was born in Ibadan on April 7, 1966, to the family of Lieutenant John Omale Ejembi of the Nigerian Army, who hailed from Awo Garaje, in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, and Mrs. Omale Mariam Ejembi, an accomplished Idoma woman from Okpoga, in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
Mrs. Alice Ojochide Onyema is the fifth child of her mother and the 11th of her father. Her growing up was shaped by military discipline and moving from one part of the country to another, associated with military careers. Her early education commenced in Awo Garaje and later transcended several town in the South-East region, including Isuikwuato in Abia State, Nkwerre and Eziama in Imo State, and Hilltop and Ninth Mile in Enugu State. When her father retired in 1977, the family settled in Otukpo, Benue State, where Ojochide completed her primary education at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Primary School.
Alice Onyema had her secondary education at Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Itire, Lagos, which she completed in 1984. She proceeded to Federal School of Arts and Science, Suleja, Niger State. She later passed the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination and was admitted to the University of Jos, where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts in 1990. After her National Youth Service Corps programme at the Corporate Affairs Commission in Abuja and working there for one year, Ojochide proceeded to the University of Lagos, where she obtained her master’s degree in Public and International Affairs in 2013.
Her marriage to Barrister Allen Ifechukwu Onyema in the 1993 is blessed with four children, a girl and three boys: Barrister Nnenna Onyema, Chinonso Onyema, Barrister Obinna Onyema and Engineer Ugochukwu Onyema. For the Onyemas, the months of March and April mean a lot to them. While Barrister Allen Onyema’s birthday is on March 27, that of Mrs. Alice Onyema is on April 11. Although Chief Onyema does not like celebrating birthdays, the wife’s diamond jubilee birthday could not go unnoticed. Hence Chief Allen Onyema invited friends, associates and well-wishers to celebrate with them the great milestone. Turning 60 is not a mean achievement in a country where life expectancy is approximately 53-55 years. Unfortunately, Nigeria’s life expectancy is among the lowest in the world and significantly below the global average of 73 years.
The Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the venue of the great birthday celebration, was convivial and filled to capacity with guests, which included politicians, royal fathers, captains of industry and other eminent Nigerians. The beautiful ambience offered relaxation to many Lagosians who toil every day with limited leisure to make ends meet. It offered an opportunity for people to reconnect with friends, business partners. Some of those who graced the event included former governor of Anambra State and 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhom, SAN, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo of United Nigeria Airlines, the director-general of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Chris Ona Najomo, Dr. Ike Neliaku, president, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, managing director of Zenith Bank, Adaora Umeoji, MD of Fidelity Bank, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, ace footballer, Segun Odegbami, Dr. Reuben Abati of Arise Television, and many others. Nigerian comedian Okey Bakassi was there to spice the occasion with laughter and humour. There was enough food and drinks for everyone.
Chief Allen and Mrs. Alice Onyema’s marriage has proved right the dictum that “big things start small.” From humble beginnings, coupled with divine intervention and hard work, they own the biggest airline in Nigeria and West Africa. They have also proven Antoine de Saint-Exupery right that “Love does not consist of gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
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Together they have built one of the best, most successful and thriving airlines in the country, which prioritizes safety above all things. Since 2014 when Air Peace started operations with seven aircraft, it has grown from strength to strength despite some constraints in the industry. No doubt, Allen Onyema, the man imbued with the Midas touch, has greatly revolutionized the airline industry since coming on board some years back. Like Prometheus, he brought down fire that filled the necessary gaps in the capital-intensive industry, in which many feared to invest. No wonder Air Peace is the largest and biggest carrier in Nigeria, West and Central Africa. It now has direct flight from Lagos to London Gatwick Airport and Abuja to Heathrow Airport. It has also made inroads with flights to Caribbean countries and still counting.
The celebrant, no doubt, is a strong pillar of support to her husband, Allen Onyema. With her position as the vice-chairman of Air Peace Airlines, Alice Ojochide Onyema plays a pivotal role, exemplifying leadership, resilience and unwavering commitment to the growth of the business. Operating behind the scenes, she remains a pillar of strength as well as a guiding influence in the organization. In a moving tribute to his wife, Allen Onyema wrote: “Growing up, I was very playful, adventurous, intelligent, very daring and all over the place. My friends, though, believed my abilities to do anything I wished.
Marriage was not one of those abilities, not to think of an Allen Onyema getting married under the age of thirty. It was unbelievable to all who heard of my wedding. Out of curiosity, so many of them attended our wedding to see for themselves. I was never considered as one who would want to settle down with family life at the age we did. However, beneath that “very unserious human being” disposition was a soul steadily prayerful to our Lord God Almighty for a wife that would understand me, love me the way I am and give me peace. In Alice, God answered these prayers of mine a million fold. She epitomizes virtuousness and peace. She is very kind-hearted, very loving of humanity, unassuming, and above all, very God-fearing.”
In the same way, the children eulogized their mother for her love, caring and selflessness. According to them, “There are certain individuals whose presence in one’s life is so constant, so foundational that words seem insufficient to fully capture their significance. Our mother is one of such individuals. Today, as we celebrate her 60th birthday, we do so not merely as individuals, but as a family bound together in profound gratitude to God for the woman who raised us, shaped us and continues to stand for us in words that words can scarcely express.”
We join millions of her friends, family members and business partners to celebrate her on turning 60 and wish her many more fruitful years in joy, peace and happiness.
