Emirates Has 130 not 10 Nigerians as Staff – Official

Emirates has said that it has over 130 Nigerians as staff, 60 of which are employed in Nigeria.

The airline debunked reports that it employs only 10 Nigerians. This was disclosed in a statement by one of its spokesperson on Sunday.

“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.

Emirates’ operation also supports 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 prides itself on ‎its diversity and employs staff from more than 170 countries around the world and connects people from all backgrounds across our international network.

‎We welcome applications from suitably qualified and experienced candidates for available vacancies from all nationalities, including  Nigerian nationals,” the statement read.

The statement follows Senate President Bukola Saraki‘s tweet that only 10 Nigerian Air Hosts/Hostesses work for the Airline.

Saraki disclosed the information in a series of tweets. See below:

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.

The Senate will work to ensure that foreign entities operating in the country hire more Nigerians. This is important for our domestic growth.

I wish the Senate Aviation Committee Chairman a speedy recovery. Once he’s back there is work to do to address this airline employment issue.

It is important to address why only 10 Nigerian air host/hostesses work for Emirates. Companies operating in Nigeria must employ Nigerians.

I encourage everyone out there with information that can help better the plight of Nigerians to let us know.