The Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems has placed the culinary arts and domestic food producers at the centre of its macro-economic development vision. 

In partnership with the Culinara Group, Tantacom, and MIPAD, the Ministry hosted a landmark World Gastronomy Day celebration on Thursday, June 18, 2026. 

Held under the theme “A Seat at the Table” at The Library on Victoria Island, the gathering sought to reframe gastronomy from a purely artistic pursuit into a powerful engine for nationwide job creation and economic diversification.

The event drew a distinguished assembly of state executives, corporate pioneers, creative industry leaders, and international diplomats. 

Key dignitaries in attendance included the Honourable Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Hon. Abisola Olusanya; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Emmanuel Audu; the Special Adviser on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola; and the Director General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Sir Obi Asika. 

Industry giants such as Oyindamola Adegite of GTCO Plc, Jide Sipe of FMN, and Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Carlos Rojas-Arbulu, also participated in the panels, which were co-hosted by MIPAD Founder Kamil Olufowobi and Culinara Co-CEO Jennifer Odufuwa.

The exhibition halls were designed to trace the direct economic links connecting rural smallholder farmers and local markets to the hospitality industry. 

Opening the technical sessions, Mr Emmanuel Audu noted that investing in the food ecosystem directly safeguards Nigeria’s future by optimising commerce at the intersection of culture. 

Panellists from financial institutions like Ecobank and agro-processors like Nestlé Nigeria explored practical steps to integrate gastronomy into national development plans, emphasising that local sourcing stabilises rural incomes, expands market access for youth and women entrepreneurs, and positions authentic culinary tourism as a major foreign exchange earner.

A major highlight was the official unveiling of Eko Flavours Season 3.0, a pioneering culinary franchise that seamlessly blends media entertainment with rigorous entrepreneurship training. 

The upcoming season will require contestants to pitch scalable business plans, practice sustainable sourcing, and tackle food waste-reduction challenges. 

The stakeholders recommended the immediate establishment of a Lagos Gastronomy Council to coordinate cross-sector grants, low-interest startup loans, and the institutional embedding of culinary agribusiness modules within educational curricula nationwide.

Source: People Gazette