Ayodele Olalere
Residents of Lagos State will have the opportunity to showcase their cooking skills as the state government is set to organize a cooking competition tagged ‘Eko Flavours.’
According to the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, the cooking competition which will commence on August 1 is to showcase Lagos State as ‘the melting point of Nigeria in terms of food as the state is home to every tribe in Nigeria.’
She said the initiative will also give youths, especially the local market food vendors, the opportunity to display their cooking skills and bring them to the limelight as an important component in the food chain system.
Olusanya said competition will begin on August 1 in an online format with participants cooking and showing the process on their social media handles, inviting their friends and followers to like their videos and send the content through the organisers website www.ekoflavours.lagosfreshfoodhub.com
She added that by August 9, 50 most liked contents will be selected and be given a food voucher to buy food items at the Lagos Food Hub, Idi-Oro, Mushin. The food items will be used to cook for the next step of the competition out of which 20 successful participants will be chosen from the earlier 50.
The Commissioner further said that the 20 will come to the hub for the semi-final where they will cook in the presence of judges and onlookers and the best 10 will be chosen from which another five will compete for the final on August 31.
Prizes to be won include N5million for the winner, one year ambassadorial role and one year shopping ticket. The second runner-up will go home with N3million and six months voucher while the third place will get N1million and three months shopping voucher.
The Commissioner added that the initiative is in partnership with the private sector and will be an annual event that would bring young chefs and culinary enthusiasts in the state to the limelight while showcasing their ideas.
Olusanya also said the Eko Flavours competition is part of the state’s government initiatives engaging youths and students meaningfully during the holiday and enable culinary enthusiasts to create contents and showcase the food flavours of Lagos.
Representatives of the Food Management Agency, Olufunke Adu and Jennifer Odufuwa, said participants would be compensated adequately noting that the idea is to encourage unity among all the various ethnicities and tribes with their various cooking skills and dishes in Lagos as the melting point of diversification in the country.