Aviation Minister Keyamo Clarifies Directive Mandating Foreign Airlines, Others To Patronise Local Caterers For Onboard Meals
According to a statement from the minister on Wednesday, the directive to patronize local caterers does not mean airlines are required to serve local dishes.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has issued clarifications regarding his recent directive for foreign airlines to patronize local caterers for onboard meals on outbound flights from Nigeria.
This clarification was provided by Keyamo on his X handle on Wednesday following the ministry’s initial announcement, which stated that the new rule would take effect on January 1, 2025.
According to a statement from the minister on Wednesday, the directive to patronize local caterers does not mean airlines are required to serve local dishes.
“This is to clarify that directing foreign airlines on out-bound flights to patronise our local caterers is not the same thing as directing them to serve local dishes.
“Our local caterers can also prepare continental dishes or anyone for that matter according to their own specification,” the minister clarified.
According to te minister, “the age-long practice of bringing their meals frozen from their different countries and then warming and serving them on their outbound flights to mostly our own citizens is no longer acceptable”.
He said, “We also have quality control agencies to supervise the hygienic nature of those meals, if that is their concern.
On the flip side, if they want us to trust the quality of the food they bring into our country to serve our own citizens, then they also should trust our own process of vetting those meals made by our local caterers.
“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.”
The directive is part of the ministry’s broader effort to bolster Nigeria’s local economy.
