Indigenous foods: Enhancing Nigeria’s tourism potential
All of these feelings are expressed with a lot of nostalgia and burning desires to have such in their new environments, many thousand miles away from home. It is in the light of this that the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) organised a seminar […]
All of these feelings are expressed with a lot of nostalgia and burning desires to have such in their new environments, many thousand miles away from home. It is in the light of this that the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) organised a seminar geared towards taking Nigerian indigenous dishes beyond the Nigerian and African shores.
The event which took place at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers was tagged ‘Promoting Nigerian Cuisine beyond borders’. Featuring an exhibition of dishes from across the different states of the federation, the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Chief Edem Duke expressed delight at the initiative which he described as a means of further enhancing Nigeria’s tourism potentials.
During the outing which also dwelt on the essentials of packaging and making presentable Nigerian foods, Duke stressed that many believe because they have received good training from their mothers on food preparation, that is where it ends. According to him, “some of the challenges of Nigerian foods are export variations. This, notwithstanding, packaging is what makes it first and foremost attractive before the taste.” He added, “We also need to learn to give proper descriptions of the menu we serve so that people are not just eating dark coloured tasty vegetables without any knowledge of what ingredients have been combined to make it that appetizing.”
The Minister, while hinting on the idea of Nigerian food festival which will provide a huge platform for the appreciation of Nigerian cuisine, also pointed at the need to explore the indigenous knowledge regarding local food production which he said would generate more revenues.
In articulating the challenges of Nigerian food chains, the Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom buttressed the fact that there are so many South African food chains scattered around Nigeria but Nigerian food chains rest only within the country. “Where they exist abroad, they are usually located in lungus (hidden spots) unlike the prominence of Italian and Chinese restaurants.”
Ortom stated that a seminar of this nature is long overdue considering society’s dependency on junk foods which are no replacements for eba, fufu and akpu. “With fast-food joints fast springing, ethnic foods are dying and the sector is in need of intervention.”
Describing the collaboration, the Director General, NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Munzali Danata said it was a commendable step towards promoting Nigerian culture through its cuisine. Now strategically repositioned and with its impact felt across the six geo-political zones of the nation, the NIHOTOUR boss encouraged the public and private sector to avail themselves of the training opportunities from crafts to management which is one of the primary responsibilities of the Institution.
Harping on the need for proper packaging, Danata stated that, “With the global food packaging industry raking in about $100bn annually, Nigeria needs to tap into this as well as needs to showcase the richness and nutritional value of Nigerian dishes beyond her borders.”