Nigeria has potential to become Mecca food tourism in Africa – Lai

By Mashe Umaru Gwamna

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed at the weekend said Nigeria has the potential of becoming food tourism centre in Africa.
Lai made this assertion during the celebration of 2021 World Gastronomy Day celebration in Abuja.
The event was organized by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in collaboration with the Embassy of The Peoples Republic of China and the Arts and Culture Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA Abuja,
with the theme: “Nations, Food, Cultures and partnership for sustainable development”.
He said with over 300 ethnic groups and their corresponding unique cuisines. The Federal government recognized the pivotal roles that sustainable gastronomy can play in Nigeria tourism development.
The Minister represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, stated that Nigeria has culture as its tourism competitive advantage which is mostly defined by its foods and cuisines.
He called on Nigerian tourism industry to seize the opportunity offered by gastronomy which has become a major tourist pull-factor to enhance the country’s portfolio as a preferred tourist destination in Africa.
Similarly, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism, Senator Rochas Okorocha, applauded efforts of NIHOTOUR in organizing the first Gastronomy Day in Nigeria since its inception in 2017 globally.
He promised to initiate the establishment of a Food Technology training outfit as part of the Institute’s training mandate in hospitality.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Director General of NIHOTOUR,Nura Kangiwa, said the country needs to strategically conceptualize its tourist products to attract continued traffic of both domestic and international tourists for sustainable growth of the Nigerian tourism industry .
Kangiwa called for investment in the gastronomy sub sector, said its multiplier effect and social value chains as a thriving industry will help eradicate poverty and improvement in rural infrastructure.
Delivering her key note Paper, on the theme,Chairperson of the FCT Chapter of Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Dr Florence Uchendu, emphasised that, sustainable gastronomy is to address the devastating and threatening effects of climate change on global food supply and to key in to achieving sustainable development goals(SDGs).
Dr. Uchendu appealed for greater and wider public awareness programmes in the media on sustainable processes of food production, preparation and consumption in ways that are not wasteful.