BEVERLY HILLS, January 9, (THEWILL) – Following a report in the media that Emirates Airlines only has 10 Nigerians in its employ and the consequent reaction of the Senate, the airline has clarified that it has over 60 Nigerians working for it in the country.
Emirates added that it welcomes applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for available vacancies from all nationalities, including Nigerian nationals.
This is coming after the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki threatened that the upper legislative chamber will investigate why the foreign airliner operating in the country employed only 10 Nigerians.
In a series of tweets on his Twitter handle on Friday, Saraki asserted that it is unfair of Emirates Airlines to employ just 10 Nigerians when elsewhere it employs more locals. He then vowed that the Senate will ensure that the anomaly is corrected as soon as possible.
His tweets read, “Today, I learnt that there are only 10 Nigerians employed in the entire Emirates Airlines workforce that operates in our country.
“I gathered that in countries like Kenya, Emirates Airlines employs close to 1000 Kenyans in their workforce.
“Considering the size of Nigeria and its market — I would have expected more. Foreign airlines and companies need to hire more Nigerians.
“I am sure that at the time Emirates Airlines started their route, we did not get a good deal for our people. It is time to look into this.”
But a statement issued on Sunday evening by Emirates’ social media manager, Adekunle Olushola, maintained that “Emirates employs more than 130 Nigerian nationals across the Emirates group, of which over 60 are employed in Nigeria and not 10 as reported in some local media”.
The statement added that the operations of Emirates also support many more jobs in Nigeria’s aviation services supply chain such as in ground handling and catering, and brings broader benefits to the Nigerian economy by supporting tourism and trade.
The airline stated that it prides itself on its diversity and employs staff from over 170 countries around the world, claiming that it connects people from all backgrounds across our international network.
