By Taiye Olayemi
National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), a parastatal of the Federal Government, is to hold a gastronomy festival on June 16 and 17, 2023, to market African cuisines.
Alhaji Nura Kangiwa, Director-General, NIHOTOUR, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, in Lagos, through his Special Assistant, Mr Joesef Karim.
Kangiwa said the 2023 edition of the festival was the third consecutive food and beverage exhibition and sampling event annually organised by NIHOTOUR since 2021.
The theme for the festival will be “Culinary Arts: The Gate Way to Growing Tourism Destinations”.
“NIHOTOUR’s gastronomy festival is positioned to be one of the largest and most culturally eclectic culinary arts and related gastronomy event in Africa.
“The event will attract over 5,000 visitors and industry stakeholders who will participate in the experiential learning of food production processes and indulge in free sampling of diverse Nigerian and international cuisines and beverages on display.
“The festival will be laced with traditional gaiety and entertainments that highlight Nigeria’s rich cultural diversity, including musicals and dance choreography.
“This will hold at Abuja International Conference Centre, on the 16th and 17th of June 2023,” he said.
According to him, NIHOTOUR was established by an Act of Parliament to train, certify and register personnel in Nigeria’s hospitality, travel and tourism sectors.
He explained that the gastronomy festival was conceptualised to upskill Nigerian gastronomes on nitty-gritties of the preparation and presentation of foods, especially Nigerian traditional cuisines.
He said the objective was to improve the expertise of personnel in the industry.
“Due to the dearth of skilled culinary artistes in Nigeria, NIHOTOUR’s gastronomy festival provides one of the best opportunities for hospitality and tourism stakeholders, students, and enthusiasts to have hands-on learning.
“This will also expose them to perspectives on the sustainability of developing tourism destinations, using activities of gastronomy festivals as promotional tools.
“This year’s event will attract more foreign missions and corporate Nigeria brands involved in food and beverage processing, research, and development,” he said.
Kangiwa noted that activities slated for the two-day event included Nigerian food and beverage exhibition by NIHOTOUR and other leading restaurant franchises; international cuisines showcasing by foreign missions in Nigeria and cooking competition by Nigerian culinary schools.
He said other activities were: ‘Jollof War’ by select west African chefs and investiture of NIHOTOUR fellowship on outstanding individuals who have immensely contributed to the development of hospitality and tourism sectors in Nigeria.
“There would also be conferences involving Nigeria’s leading tourism and hospitality stakeholders and business operators, as members of the Hospitality and Tourism Sector Skills Council of Nigeria (HTSSCN).
“NIHOTOUR would deliver training and masterclass for members of the Association of Nigerian Journalists and Travel Writers (ANJET).
“The facilitators slated for ANJET training include Mr. Buky Ponle, the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Chief Olusegun Runsewe, the Director General of National Council for Arts and Culture.
“We also have Peter Igho, the brain behind some of the most popular programmes on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) that enthralled households in the 1970s and the 1990s,”
