The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, has defended his directive to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to mandate foreign carriers to make use of local caterers for on-board meals with effect from January 1, 2025.
Keyamo in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), said it was no longer acceptable for foreign airlines to serve reheated meals on outbound flights to Nigerian passengers, adding that the measure would also boost Nigeria’s economy.
“This is to clarify that directing foreign airlines on outbound flights to patronize our local caterers is not the same as instructing them to serve local dishes. Our local caterers can also prepare continental dishes or any meals as per the airlines’ specifications. The age-old practice of bringing frozen meals from their countries and then warming and serving them on outbound flights, predominantly to our own citizens, is no longer acceptable,” the minister wrote.
On the safety of the food, Kenyamo said the country has quality control agencies that could see to that, adding that there was need for mutual trust between Nigeria and foreign airlines.
“If they expect us to trust the quality of food they bring into our country to serve our citizens, then they should also trust the process we have for vetting meals prepared by our local caterers,” he said.
“With our huge population and traffic, it’s essential that other caterers from different regions do not benefit from opportunities that should contribute to our local economy.”