THE Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, has decried the manner in which some foreign airlines operating within the Nigerian Airspace serve in-flight meals to passengers without regard to their preference for local cuisines.
Ajiboye, who flew into the country recently with one of the foreign airlines, lamented over the manner in which unculturable-friendly cuisines are served.
He made case for Nigerians to be allowed by these foreign airlines to choose their indigenous meals while onboard rather than forcing absolutely foreign cuisines on them.
He added that doing so would be of great advantage as indigenous cuisines can deepen cultural diplomacy faster than any other means.
Speaking through his media assistant, Mr. Caleb Nor, in a statement on Monday, Ajiboye, said maintained that as airlines go in and out of the country, “making our culture important to their foreign passengers does not entirely mean that we are forcing our meals on those foreign passengers but simply show respect for us as a people and respect for our culture”.
He emphasised that culture is everything in governance and development, noting that a country whose culture is undermined is a country doomed to be backward.
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According to him, the crusade for cultural recognition is very essential as the Act establishing NICO permits the agency to promote culture locally and internationally.
He noted for instance that the Chinese are everywhere today, making their own meals with the support of their government does not necessarily mean they want the entire world to like their cuisines but primarily to deepen and spread across their culture to the world, which is cultural diplomacy at its highest level.
Ajiboye believed that “if it is good for the foreign airlines to generate income from Nigerians, then respect for our culture should even be better or much more pursued by them.
“The NICO boss calls on the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo SAN to see the importance of this suggestion and consider making the idea a policy in the nation’s aviation sector,” the statement added.
