KFC Nigeria Takes Fast Food Business to New Height

Joseph Ekeng

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), the latest entrant into Nigeria’s fast growing fast foods industry, says it has come to raise the bar in the food and restaurant market in Nigeria, by offering the same international quality and standard it is globally known for.

KFC is one of the biggest restaurants in the world, serving over 12 million people every day. The American food chain says its decision to come into the Nigerian market at this point is timely as it was reached after some research and study of the local environment.

The food company which has already opened it first outlet at the popular City Mall, Onikan,

is by all standard world class and is manned by over 25 Nigerian employees who were sent on international training to ensure strict quality control and to retain the local content of its operations. They are joined by some expatriate staff.

The company has also embarked on extensive food safety audits and hygiene test of various suppliers’ facilities to ensure they met the highest local and international standard. Besides suppliers were trained extensively, and sent to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) courses to ensure that the global standard set by Yum Restaurants International, the franchisor, are met,” Marc Schreuder, CEO of Devyani International, said at the launch.

Devyani International, the franchisee, is a joint venture company between RJ Corp of India and Chellaram Plc. The company was incorporated in 2009 for the purpose of owning and operating KFC restaurants in agreement with Yum Restaurant International.

Schreuder says that KFC, which presently owns 13 000 outlets around the world, including Uganda, Malawi and Zambia, plans to open several other outlets across the country.