KFC Nigeria has issued a formal apology after one of its outlets was closed by the country’s airport authority due to allegations of discriminating against a disabled customer.
Adebola Daniel, the son of former Nigerian state governor Gbenga Daniel, recounted on social media that he was asked to leave a KFC outlet at Lagos airport because of his wheelchair.
His post sparked widespread outrage and led to an investigation by the federal airport authority, resulting in the closure of the branch.
In a detailed account, Mr. Daniel described the incident, which occurred on Tuesday, as the most degrading form of public humiliation he had ever endured.
“Today I felt less than human, like a guard dog not allowed into the house. Lonely and isolated.” he expressed.
He alleged that despite pleas from his wife and two brothers who were accompanying him, the manager of the KFC outlet at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria’s busiest airport, refused to serve him.
“She refused to listen to reason and stood her ground that at [KFC] Murtala Muhammed branch, wheelchairs and wheelchair users of all shapes and sizes were not permitted in the premises and we should leave immediately,” he recounted.
In an audio recording captured after the incident, Mr. Daniel’s wife can be heard expressing dissatisfaction to a female employee, presumably the manager, suggesting that the situation could have been handled more appropriately.
“When you guys came in, we should have told you guys that wheelchair is not allowed… people know that wheelchair is not allowed [at KFC],” the employee responded, indicating adherence to that the restaurant’s policy bars wheelchair users.
In a statement released on social media on Thursday, KFC Nigeria extended its apologies to Mr. Daniel and outlined steps to address the issue, including employee training on inclusivity and compassionate customer service.
Following the closure of the restaurant by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and their directive for KFC to apologise to Mr. Adebola, FAAN also mandated the fast-food chain to prominently display a non-discrimination policy at the restaurant as a prerequisite for reopening.