Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo has mandated the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure that foreign carriers patronize local caterers for on-board meals starting January 1, 2025.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Keyamo said the long-standing practice of foreign airlines serving reheated meals on outbound flights to Nigerian passengers is no longer acceptable.
According to him, “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.”
Keyamo clarified, “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.”
On concerns about food safety, he assured that Nigeria has quality control agencies capable of ensuring the hygiene and safety of the meals prepared by local caterers.
The minister stressed the importtance of 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.
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