The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has clarified his recent directive mandating the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure foreign carriers patronize local caterers for on-board meals starting January 1, 2025.
In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, Keyamo clarified that directing foreign airlines on out-bound flights to patronise local caterers is not the same thing as directing them to serve local dishes.
The Minister emphasized that the age-long practice of foreign airlines serving warmed meals on outbound flights to Nigerian passengers is no longer acceptable.
Keyamo insisted that the change of this practice is needed to boost Nigeria’s economy through the support for local businesses.
He wrote, “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 also addressed food safety concerns, assuring that Nigeria has quality control agencies capable of ensuring the hygiene and safety of the meals prepared by local caterers.
Also stating need for mutual trust, Keyamo said, “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 emphasized the significance of supporting local businesses, adding, “The bottom line is that we must support our local businesses with our huge population and traffic, but other caterers from other climes should not benefit from what should essentially be to the benefit of our local economy.”
