Ime Akpan
The managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Hamisu Yadudu, has said that people selling food within the premises of airports across the country will be regulated in line with international best practices.
Yudada who stated this at the g at the maiden edition of the ‘World Food Day Safety’ awareness workshop organised by FAAN at the international wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos said operators will be subjected to a routine six months medical examination to ascertain their fitness and personal hygiene because of the safety critical implications of their business.
“No one can operate in our environment without a licence. All of the people that sell food must come under the scrutiny of our medical people before they are allowed to sell.
“What we want to do is to develop a stronger synergy. Airport being an environment that is regulated entirely, we will sit with the various agencies that regulate the sector, look at where the gaps are in the area of food delivery and safety and ensure we plug the holes and close the gaps.”
“We have to set a curriculum. There are best practices around the world. The airport is a regulated environment, which means that there are best practices everywhere. We are not different. We are part of a global aviation system. So, definitely, we have to borrow from what is obtainable, in fact we have to enforce what is obtainable around the world so that we can have best practices. Those who want to sell food must be certified,” said Yudada who was represented by his chief of staff, Mr. Nehemiah Auta.
However, he said he was not unaware of people who come from the airport neighbourhoods and other side of town to sell food but maintained that those who operate in the confines of the airport will be subjected to regulation.
“The airport is a larger part of the town. I cannot deny that there are some outliers, people that come from town to be part of it, to sell some wares along the line that are not regulated. But those we find within our territory must have some kind of regulation. No one can operate in our environment without a licence,” stressed.
The managing director said FAAN was working towards achieving a decent and healthy food safety delivery within the airport environment.
This can only be achieved if we are able to identify and control factors that militate against food poisoning, which threatens the welfare and survival of our staff and customers.”
In her presentation, the resource person, Ms Arese Lucia Ojelede, who spoke on ‘Aviation industry and food safety: Connecting the link’ called for routine inspection and audit of food vendors at airports as part of efforts to keep them in check.
She called for certification of food vendors at airports adding that their sources of water, transportation system, supply chain, state of hygiene of the workers and the environment in which food is prepared should be scrutinised.
She said most cases of food poisoning involving passengers are not reported to enable the regulators sanction erring operators.
“FAAN has to look at the quality of food sold at the airports. If there are infractions in service, people need to know who to report to for redial action because of hazards that could lead to injury or loss of lives,” she said.
