Nigerian Minister Festus Keyamo has declared that foreign airlines must cease the practice of reheating frozen foods before serving them to Nigerian passengers, emphasizing the need for improved food standards in aviation.
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has provided clarification regarding his recent instruction requiring the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to mandate that foreign airlines use local catering services for on-board meals beginning January 1, 2025.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday, Keyamo clarified that instructing foreign airlines with outbound flights to use local catering services is not equivalent to requiring them to serve local cuisine.
The Minister stressed that it is no longer acceptable for foreign airlines to continue their long-standing practice of serving reheated meals to Nigerian passengers on outbound flights.
Keyamo emphasized that altering this practice is necessary to enhance Nigeria’s economy by supporting local businesses.
He stated, “I want to make it clear that asking foreign airlines on outbound flights to use our local caterers doesn’t mean they have to serve local dishes. Our caterers are capable of preparing continental meals or any other requested by the airline.”
The long-standing custom of importing frozen meals from other countries and serving them on outbound flights, mainly to our own citizens, is now considered unacceptable.
The Minister also tackled food safety concerns, affirming that Nigeria has competent quality control agencies to ensure the cleanliness and safety of meals prepared by local caterers.
Emphasizing the importance of mutual trust, Keyamo remarked, “If they want us to have confidence in the quality of food they import into our country for our citizens, then they should also have faith in how we vet meals prepared by local caterers.”
He stressed the importance of backing local businesses, stating, “Ultimately, we need to support our local enterprises given our large population and heavy traffic. Businesses from other regions should not benefit at the expense of what inherently belongs to our local economy.”
