The Nation Newspaper

Category: Travels on Saturday

  • CICC takes first event booking

    CICC takes first event booking

    Calabar International Convention Centre [CICC] has received its first confirmed booking for 2015 and, in doing so, has started its journey towards establishing itself as one of the leading convention centres in Africa.

    The announcement was made by Linda de Gouveia, Sales Manager for the CICC, on Tuesday July, 15. According to her, this is just the first of several bookings being negotiated for 2015.

    She said:  “We are delighted at this development, at such an early stage of our sales campaign which only started two months ago. Several conference organisers are having discussions with us to secure dates for next year.”

    Alvasta Travel & Leisure, in conjunction with various partners, will be hosting its Nigerian Tourism Conference at CICC from 19-20 March 2015. The event will be the first of its kind to bring together the key players in the Nigerian tourism industry and to showcase all the destination has to offer to the leisure and MICE sectors, locally and abroad.

    The conference is set to attract approximately 600 delegates, while an exhibition will be open to the public.

  • Maple adds aircraft charter

    Maple adds aircraft charter

    Maple Aviation Logistics Limited is set to provide aircraft charter services. The company, which has been a player in the travel industry, said the addition of the air travel charter is in its drive to provide excellent service.

    In a release by the company, maple said it is providing private charter of airplanes and helicopter charter service.

    The release said:  “The Maple brand has been in the travel business for years and with continued drive provide excellent  service and ensure we meet our clients’ needs we have included in our offerings private charter of airplanes and helicopters.

    “Maple will provide private hire services, offering our clients of the comfort and convenience of exclusive use of an aircraft or helicopter without the hassles of ownership and maintenance.”

  • Family pilgrimage to Israel postponed

    Family pilgrimage to Israel postponed

    In view of the current escalating crisis in Israel and Gaza, it is now practically impossible to commence the airlift of intending pilgrims to Israel under our family pilgrimage programme.

    Consequently, the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) has decided to suspend the flag off of the airlift of intending pilgrims earlier scheduled for  July 29.

    The security and welfare of our pilgrims are very paramount and should not be comprised. However we will commence our airlift as soon as peace returns to Israel and Gaza.

    The commission said it will keep the families involved informed of developments.

  • When worshippers defied rain to mark Ifa Festival

    When worshippers defied rain to mark Ifa Festival

    The heavens opened.  But it was not enough to discourage the people as hundreds of Ifa worshippers gathered at the playground of the Government Technical College, Abule Ado, off Badagry Expressway, Lagos to mark the 2014 edition of Ifa Festival.

    The all-white attire adorned by majority of the people and their determination to remain undaunted in the face of the challenge posed by the rain combined to ensure the success of the event, the grand finale of the 2014 edition of Ifa Festival organized by  the Olokun Festival Foundation.

    The festival is one of the many other festivals conceptualized by the Otunba Gani Adams-led foundation as part of the efforts to restore the glory of Yoruba cultural heritage.

    One very important message witnessed at the event was the beauty of religious harmony among Nigerians. To open the day, the three major religions in the country offered special prayers that gave the event an atmosphere of beauty.

    Clad in a flowing snow white lace material with his abetiaja cap to match, Adams, for the first time ever, according to him, made public the story behind his undying love for white attire.

    Speaking on his worship of Ifa, Adams said: “If I had not consulted Ifa on the insistence of Musendiku Shina in Abeokuta, I would not have known that the colour that rhythms with my star is white. I would still have been in the dark, wearing all sorts of colours. But since then,I have stuck to my white and I am seeing the result. That is the story you have not heard before about my wearing white clothing.”

    The OPC leader stated that Ifa prophesied that he would come out of the crisis a more famous person whose fame would transcend the shores of Nigeria nay Africa and even beyond.

    “And to my surprise, the prophecy came to pass as we are all a living witness today. Why I am saying this is to tell you that Ifa is the spiritual eye of man. Whoever refuses to believe this is not only losing, he or she is moving about unguarded,” he said.

    Considering the public apathy to tradition, owing to the influence of Islam and Christianity, Adams is, however, excited. He is glad for the global recognition lately extended to the Ifa divination with a specific reference to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which, according to him, added the Ifa Divination System to its list of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

    He said Ifa guided the founders of Yoruba towns and communities before they settled.

    “It is, therefore, not a surprise that these towns have flourished over the years, and I can tell you that they will continue to flourish according to what Ifa predicted long before they were established,” he said.

    The guest speaker, a lecturer in the Yoruba Department of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Ibrahim Adebiyi, commended Adams for his positive attitude to Yoruba culture and tradition.

    Adebiyi shocked the audience with his theory, suggesting that the inventors of computer had Ifa in mind when putting together the components making up the system. The university don highlighted some significance of Ifa to humanity and the need to accord it respect by the Yoruba.

    “Whoever is sincere with Ifa will be prosperous because Ifa symbolizes the truth. Ifa would not mislead. Rather it would  clear a way for one to escape difficulty. Ifa solves problems more than any other thing,” he said.

    The speech of the Yeye-Osun of Lagos, Chief Mojirayo Fafunke Olagbaju, came with a drama of sort to the delight of the audience who responded with occasional ovation. She showered praise on Adams whom she branded his adopted son and leader deserving her total support.

    Going down memory lane, Yeye-Osun recalled the struggle period when Adams was facing what she called persecution.

    “I said to myself that I must stand by him and see him through to shame his enemies. In the end, I was vindicated. Since then, I have never looked back because he has proved to be a leader to follow. I was scheduled to attend a function at Badagry today, but when I got his message, I had to send my children to that place and come to attend the festival.

    “Ifa festival we are celebrating today is part of our heritage which we must hold dearly. I have no regret doing my traditional religion, and I will never have any reason to regret it,” she said, revealing that her daughter is already learning the rope preparatory to taking after her.

    Also present on the occasion was the duo of Baba Orisha of Lagos, Chief Goke Atiku and Chief Agbeloba Orisatuwaji, who mocked that nothing compared to their traditional faith with a veiled reference to the contemporary religions.

    ”We are saying this because Ifa does not encourage deceit that is common elsewhere. It is our own and we shall hold it dearly,” they said unanimously.

  • Emirates starts UAE visa services in Lagos

    Emirates starts UAE visa services in Lagos

    Emirates-flight-330x185Emirates and its commercial partner Dubai Visa Processing Centre have inaugurated the Dubai Visa Application Services in Lagos. The introduction of this facility is aimed at providing high quality services to applicants from Nigeria seeking the United Arab Emirates visa when travelling to Dubai.

    A statement by the Emirates  said the new Dubai Visa Application Centre would offer greater comfort, convenience and enhance the visa application experience of applicants and travel agents from the country.

    It added that the DVAC in Lagos was operational for accepting visa applications and delivery of UAE visas for travel to Dubai.

    “This inauguration marks the expansion of DVPC’s operation in the African region. Now, the company through its six DVACs operate in four African countries, including Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa,” the statement said.

    It explained that the DVPC, which operated DVAC located in Lekki, Lagos, was inaugurated by the Regional Manager, West Africa, Emirates, Mr. Manoj Nair, on July 1, adding that Dubai-bound passengers on the Emirates and those wishing to stop in Dubai for a few days could now apply for their UAE visas at the new DVAC.

    Nair was quoted in the statement as saying, “Dubai has so much to offer both the business and leisure travellers with its world class facilities and array of attractions.

    “Visiting and experiencing Dubai has now been made even easier with the opening of the DVPC, and coupled with the award winning service from the Emirates on the ground and in the air; it further enhances the traveller’s experience.”

    The Chief Operating Officer, DVPC and Special Projects, VFS Global, Mr. Vinay Malhotra, said, “The DVPC is honoured to be associated with the Emirates in facilitating the UAE visa application process for Dubai-bound travellers in Lagos, Nigeria.

    “Through this new dedicated facility inaugurated in Lagos, we aim to extend a service that is professional, accessible and convenient for direct applicants and travel agents.

    “The DVPC is privileged to be associated with the Emirates since 2002, and it is their trusted partner and now has 32 Dubai visa application centres in 14 countries in addition to providing online services in over 180 countries worldwide.”

    The statement added that travellers from Nigeria could now enjoy a host of benefits offered by the DVPC, adding that no other guarantor would be required. It also explained that there would be uniform visa fee all year round, irrespective of peak season, festivals and special events, adding that the UAE visa for different durations was now available, including 96-hour (transit visa); 30-day (tourist visa) and 14-day (service/business visa).

  • Southern Sun celebrates Nigerian cuisines

    Southern Sun celebrates Nigerian cuisines

    Southern Sun Hotel, Ikoyi, one of the hotels under the Tsogo Sun Group, has said the hotel is paying  special attention to provide its guests with top culinary experience.

    In a recent chat with travel journalists, the hotel Assistant Executive Chef, Mr. Stanley Mwangi, said since inception, the hotel made dining experience one of the most important areas to focus on. Consequently, the hotel’s management went the extra mile to put together a restaurant that would not only provide value for money satisfaction, but also a focal point external diners to come and have a distinctive culinary experience.

    He said: “When we came, the first thing we did was to do our market survey and see what other people are offering. We tried to come out with something that is different from others and also something that many people would be interested in eating. So, we tried to bring in more of intercontinental food and more of Nigerian food taking into consideration that most of our guests are Nigerians. So, we have a lot of Nigerian food, a lot intercontinental food and we tried to infuse Chinese dishes.

    “So, what you expect from us is that when you come here you have a good meal to eat. Anybody from anywhere, when you come in, you will get something that you would be very comfortable to eat. We have everything for everybody. We have a lot of variety. We also import food from everywhere to make sure that we have food outside the box. Our philosophy is to make sure that we have food to carter for everybody.”

    The hotel’s Sunday buffet, called Sunday Brunch, has become popular among many families. Mwangi explained the concept and success of the brunch: “What we do is that we have a team of local chefs to call to a meeting and we come out with something that people would eat. For example, I have seen people talk about ikokore. It is something that is a delicacy of people from a particular place. If, for example, you come to our restaurant and you find it in the buffet, you will be impressed. You will want to come back again the next time. So, we try to incorporate cuisines from all over. We are not only doing cuisines from a particular area, we are doing cuisines from all over and individual specialties from different  parts.

    “So, after our meetings and agreement on the kind of meals we want to offer for the Sunday Brunch, by Friday, we go and buy the things  to prepare the meals.

    “Also, there are other things that we do that have made it popular. We try to incorporate all sorts of continental things that are although popular, but may not be easily available.”

    He said the food philosophy of the hotel was to make sure that no matter where a guest is from, the guest would be at home with the hotel’s menu list.

    He explained: “Let’s say from our ala carte and in-room dining, there are menus that are South African food so that when they are here, they will be happy.  We also have food from Kenyan, Indian recipes and so on. We always tell our guests that if you think that we have something that we can cook for you, just tell us. We have some Indian  recipes on the menu because most Indians are vegetarians, so we try to carter for that, not just Indians but for anybody who may not be an Indian but are vegetarians.”

  • Uko joins others in 10th Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas Naming

    Uko joins others in 10th Rwanda’s Mountain Gorillas Naming

    Ikechi Uko, publisher of ATQ magazine and organizer of Akwaaba Travel Fair, was among the top world personalities chosen to participate in this year’s annual gorilla naming  ceremony in Rwanda.

    Among the personalities for this year’s event was Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Mr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi. The country was celebrating the birth of 18 baby gorillas at the 10th anniversary of Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming ceremony.

    The event was held at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains in Kinigi, Northern Rwanda and brought together more than 40,000 residents of Musanze District and visitors from all over the world. This year’s Kwita Izina was held under the theme: “A Decade: Conserving-Empowering-Growing.”

    The CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, said: “We celebrate, for the tenth time, the growth of the gorilla family by naming 18 baby gorillas born over the last year, bringing the total population of the endangered species to over 600 in the Virunga Transboundary Parks.”

    Ambassador Rugwabiza added that the increase in the mountain gorilla number is thanks to the tireless collaborative efforts of the Government of Rwanda, the local communities, neighbouring the park and conservation partners.

    “We acknowledge the role of local communities in the sustained conservation of the Volcanoes National Park, specifically the protection of the gorillas and their habitat. We believe that in the empowerment of our local communities, we also gain sustainable tourism development,” Ambassador Rugwabiza said.

    The 10th Kwita Izina was marked by a series of activities ranging from conservation, business, cultural and entertainment that led up to the big day. These included the launch of Basumba Primary School in Bigogwe, Nyabihu District. The school of six classrooms was built with funds from the Shared Revenue Scheme which gives 5% of tourism profits from the national park back to the communities surrounding the gorilla habitat.

    Over 100 regional and international tour operators and media came to experience Rwanda and took part in business to business meetings organised with RwandAir. These meetings led to business partnerships with local tour operators. In addition, Kwita Izina guests joined in Global Umuganda (community work) in Nyamata. They also participated in the Igitaramo, a community celebration with residents in Kinigi, Musanze at which local artist Jay Polly performed.

    Kwita Izina is inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born. The ceremony has transformed from being a local event in 2005 to becoming an international gorilla conservation event that also promotes tourism. Early this year, Kwita Izina won second prize in the UNWTO Ulysses Award for Innovation in Public Policy and Governance.  In the nine years since the event was established, 161 gorillas have been named in a celebration of nature and the communities who protect the majestic mountain gorilla.

  • Accusations, counter-accusations over Nigeria Fans Village

    Accusations, counter-accusations over Nigeria Fans Village

    Sport is a unifying factor the world over. It attracts, excites and captivates. That is why any place a major sporting event is to hold, thousands, if not millions, from every part of the world, troop there. It is a major form of relaxation and leisure.  The activities become even more feverish if it involves soccer-the Beautiful Game.

    Like in many other human endeavours, sport and tourism have a lot in common. While sport attracts people to a destination, tourism moves, accommodates, feeds and keeps them amused and entertained during their stay at the sporting event destination.

    The World Cup is a major sporting fiesta that many countries use to burnish their profiles not just inside the football arena, but outside.  Many who spend their hard-earned money to travel to a sporting destination seek for other activities to amuse and entertain them outside the sporting arena.

    Football matches, for example, are played for 90 minutes for each game. The sport tourists have, at times, more than 72 hours to wait for the next game. This is where discerning tourism organizations, both private and national tourism boards, capitalize on to sell their countries.

    The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) rightly recognized this and sought to use this window to sell Nigeria to the outside world. This was done in South Africa in 2010 with great success. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil’s Nigeria  Fans Village organized by the NTDC in collaboration with some private organizations has become a talking point as the government parastatal is enmeshed again in controversy with a private organization it was supposed to have partnered to organize a befitting fan village to showcase Nigeria to the world.  From all indications, things did not go as planned; each party is playing a discordant tune.

    ZA Entertainment, called a press conference this week accusing the NTDC leadership of reneging on an agreement it had with ZA Entertainment to jointly organize a befitting Nigeria Football Fan Village. Speaking on behalf of ZA Entertainment, the President, Mr. Azania Omo-Agege, said his company had, last December, got the consent of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the sport ministry to build a fan village in Sao Paulo to showcase Nigeria as a destination, its culture, cuisine, arts and so on.

    The NTDC was to later ask for the same endorsement from the NSC which was then directed to ZA Entertainment, so that they can partner. According Omo-Agege, they entered an agreement with the NTDC to work for the success of the proposed fan village.

    He said: “After several meetings, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the NTDC and ZA Entertainment streamlining each party’s role in the project. The ZA Entertainment and NTDC teams departed Nigeria June 14 instead of a week ahead of the World Cup’s kick-off  due to some prevarications from the DG NTDC.”

    Omo-Agege said before the departured, his company had entered into contracts with some Nigerian artistes like Eidrees Abdulkareem, Daddy Showkey, Waje, Austino Milado and Yolanda  to entertain at the fan village  during the fiesta. He said his company had equally contracted the services of travel agents, hotels and so on, in addition to securing a space for the village that could accommodate about 3000 fans.

    He alleged that after making all these arrangements, the NTDC boss, Mrs Sally Mbanefo, reneged by refusing to release money, but rather went and set up a “phony Nigeria Football Fan Village in a small hotel room at Raston Augusta Hotel”. He made  a further allegation, including that the NTDC boss tore the agreement with his company and chewed MoU she entered into. He also alleged that money was collected from some banks to prosecute the project which they did not see.

    Speaking further on the issue, Director, Media and Marketing, Nigeria Football Fans Village Brazil 2014, Mr. Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, said every thing that ZA Entertainment did was done with the knowledge of the NTDC since they had a joint committee for the event. He said a total of about N60m was budgeted for the event which was later cut down to N53m. He alleged that the NTDC was aware of all the activities towards organizing the successful fan village  before the commencement of the World Cup.

    The NTDC Director-General, when contacted by The Nation, debunked the allegation, saying it was all falsehood.

    She authorised her lawyer, Mr. Ibrahim Mark, to speak on her behalf.

    She explained  that both ZA Entertainment and another marketing company, Agile Communications, were to source  for funds for the Nigerian Fans Game Village project.

    Mr. Mark, speaking for the NTDC boss, said: “The corporation first gave him $10,000  because he said he didn’t even have money to start what he was doing. And he got to Brazil and never established the fan village, source for funds and run it.  He was always asking for money. The woman told him that was not the agreement. She told him he was supposed to have raised funds. He said no.  It was there that he was telling the woman that he was supposed to be paid $8,000  daily to run the place. The woman said that was not the agreement.

    “ So, the woman went and got another place to do the tourism something and came back.  So, that was why he was harassing the woman. We have written to him to say what he did to the woman was very wrong.  Did he show you the agreement or MoU to back up this thing   he was saying?  If you have an MOU, will you have only one copy?   He cannot say one was torn. He has to show you a document that is in agreement with what he is saying.”

    He explained further: “Let us say that a copy was torn; is it the only copy? As a good businessman, would you carry only one copy.   In all honesty, you can know who is honest. How can you say you have only one copy. He knows if he brings the copy, you will know his responsibilities in the MoU. Let him say whether he has complied with the agreement first because everybody had what he was supposed to do. Has he done what he was supposed to do and then the corporation did not do its own part. Most importantly, if this is a breach of contract, then you go to court and claim your money.”

    While the NTDC and the ZA Entertainment continue to trade blame as to who was responsible for the inability of  Nigeria to put up a befitting  fan village as planned, many stakeholders are of the  opinion that it would be more in the interest of tourism in the country, if the parastatal’s exposure to controversy is reduced so that it could concentrate on its core mandate of marketing and promoting Nigerian tourism.

  • Amachree to open Museum of African Culture, History

    Amachree to open Museum of African Culture, History

    One of the foremost private tourism practitioners in country and former President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Alabo Mike Amachree, is currently concluding plans to unfold a Museum of African History and Culture in Port Harcourt.

    Amachree, in a  chat with pressmen, said the establishment of the museum would be part of his contributions to the development of tourism in the country. He said the museum would also help in the efforts to raise the profile of Port Harcourt from being just the oil capital of Nigeria to a tourist destination.

    Amachree said the museum would house ‘artifacts, antiquities and relics of Nigeria and other African countries.

    “The Museum of African History and Culture that is currently in the pipeline, when completed, will avail Africans both at home and in the Diaspora the opportunity to know their history as well as to learn more about the slave trade,” he said.

    Amachree used the opportunity to emphasize the need to involve traditional rulers in the development of tourism in Nigeria as, he believed, this would help to boost tourism. He called on the government to develop the palaces of traditional rulers as this would serve as tourist sites

    He spoke further.: “There is a need to grow the knowledge of the younger generation in the history, culture and tradition of Africa. This is imperative in the development of tourism in the country.”

    Amachree, who has put more than four decades in his quest to develop tourism in the country which has seen him establish the first Abuja Carnival in 1990, second Port Harcourt Carnival in 1992, served as a board member  of the Nigerian Tourism Board in 1991 and  President of the ATPN for so many years, called for partnership between the government and private sector to move the industry forward.

    He said: “The government must provide infrastructural facilities, the enabling environment as well as necessary assistance for the sector to thrive. Tourism sector, if fully developed, is a major foreign exchange earner and employer of labour.”

    He decried the activities of insurgents in some parts of the country, saying “it is a disincentive in the area of attracting in-bound tourist.” He called on the Federal Government to do all within its power to find a lasting solution to the security challenge.

    He called on the youths to equip themselves with skills as these could put in  them good stead to serve in the tourism industry in the future.

    Speaking on the launching of his recent book, The Niger Delta Slave Trade Route, Amachree said it was a huge success and that the book was written to encourage reading and acquisition of knowledge, promising that some copies would be donated to tertiary institutions in the Niger Delta with the University of Port Harcourt as the first beneficiary.

  • 100 years of Nigeria’s food culture

    100 years of Nigeria’s food culture

    AS the centenary celebration continues all over he country, Nigeria’s food and cuisines came into focus. This was during the maiden edition of  an event tagged Nigerian Food and Cultural Fair. It was held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR)  this week.

    It was a fair that vividly tried to replicate the country’s food and culinary transition in the last 100 years, starting from the farm where food is grown to table for consumption.

    The fair was attended by organisations from the public and private sectors. NIHOTOUR set the ball rolling by recreating the transition that our food culture has made in the last 100 years, starting from the time cooking was done, using stone and wood to make the pot stand  on fire to the current period when gas and electric burners are used to cook and prepare food. Visitors also had the opportunity to see  cuisines and delicacies from different parts of the country.

    The grsin food and soups like miyan kuka, taushe, kubewa and so on were on display.  The local delicacies  with modern packaging  were also on display.

    Many Nigerians are used to the Hausa delicacy, fura da nunu, a kind of gruel prepared with millet and fresh cow milk and sugar. But the image of this meal goes with a Fulani woman carrying fresh milk on a big, intricately designed calabash on her head. A company in Kano, at the fair, displayed a well- packaged fura da nunu that could be kept and it will last for many months. Innovations with moi moi by a lady from Bayelsa State, Anthea Pretu, were also there.

    While giving the keynote address, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, High Chief Edem Duke, said a nation cannot be 100 years without being nutured by food. He said the fair was also to pay homage to the farmers that cultivate the food and also the women folk that translate the food grown into delicious meals on the table of families. Duke said  in celebrating Nigeria’s centenary, it was important for the Nigeria to export her food culture internationally. According to him, countries have extended their areas of influence through exporting their food culture.

    America did it with the fast food comapnies like KFC, Macdonald’s and others. Also, there was hardly a stand one would enter without seeing a Chnese or Indian restaurant.

    “They are using it as a tool for cultural diplomacy and extension of influence. That is why Americans are going around the world selling franchise.

    For Nigeria, we must look inward. We have 170 million people to feed. Because Nigerians love their food, we have started spreading Nigerian restaurants across the world, “he said.

    In his speech, a Nollywood star and board chairman of NIHOTOUR, Chief Kanayo O. Kanayo, said Nigeria was blessed  with an array of food compared to other African countries and it was therefore necessary to bring them to the fore and celebrate them both locally and internationally.

    He said: “China, for example, has the largest economy in Asia followed by India. Chinese and Indians are found almost everywhere in the world, and anywhere you go, as long as Chinese and Indians are there, you will always find a Chinse or an Indian restaurant. Nigeria, with the largest economy in Africa, deserves no less”

    Kanayo said NIHOTOUR was identifying with the vision of President Goodluck Jonathan  to transform Nigeria in its entire ramfications. He said Nigeria could expand through patronage and appreciation of the country’s cuisines.

    NIHOTOUR’s Director General, Alhaji Munzali Dantata , added that the fair was supposed to have been held but for some logistic challenges. He said it was a direct response to the Federal Government’s call for participation in the celebration of Nigeria’s centenary.

    He said: “This is an event which has taken long in coming. If I go back to the beginning, it is a response to the call by Mr. President. It is a centenary event. A lot of people think that the centenary is over with the grand finale by the Federal Government about three months ago. I like to mention that the whole year is a centenary year like it is customary worldwide.

     

    “We look inward in NIHOTOUR. We are a capacity-building organisation and the chief programmes we have are in the hotel restaurants and so on. Among our major students are those learning to cook , wait and genrally work in hotels. So we decided to give an account of the 100 years of food culture and hospitality. The exhibition has been a success, if you look at the calibre of companies we’ve brought together.”

    Generally, many individuals and families that attended the fair left with a better appreciation of Nigerian cuisines and food, and the general impression was that with the  food at the country’s disposal, it is high time the country started exporting its food culture like many other countries have done.