THE NATION
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has clarified his recent directive to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) requiring international airlines to use local caterers for onboard meals starting January 1, 2025.
In a statement shared on his X account on Tuesday, Keyamo emphasized that the directive does not mandate airlines to serve local cuisine but to source catering services from within Nigeria for outbound flights.
He highlighted that it is unacceptable for Nigerian passengers to be served reheated meals on these flights and stressed the importance of changing this practice to support local businesses and boost Nigeria’s economy.
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.”
In addition, the Minister addressed the issue of food safety, stating that Nigeria has quality control organizations that can guarantee the safety and hygienic conditions of the food served by local caterers.
