Nigeria marked a bold step forward in its bid to become a leading gastronomy tourism destination on the African continent, as Chef Gbolabo Adebakin—popularly known as Chef Gibbs—represented the country at the Second Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa, held in Arusha, Tanzania.
The forum, hosted by UN Tourism in partnership with the Government of Tanzania, the UN Tourism Regional Office for Africa, and the Basque Culinary Center, brought together top stakeholders from across Africa to explore how gastronomy can drive cultural identity, economic growth, and sustainable development.
According to a statement, Chef Gibbs’ representation was borne out of his efforts in championing Nigeria’s culinary ambition, with five key objectives to showcase Nigeria’s vibrant gastronomy on an international platform; introduce the Nigeria Food Summit to African and global stakeholders; build networks across the food value chain; position Nigeria as a future hub for gastronomy tourism; and to promote sustainable development through culinary partnerships.
As part of the takeaways from the forum, Chef Gibbs emphasised the urgent need for Nigeria to transition from a seasonal, event-driven tourism model to a year-round, experience-based tourism strategy.
He proposed a number of strategic actions, which include – “Experience Nigeria 365” Campaign; annual strategy summit; centralised digital platform; incentives for Investment; and hospitality capacity building.
Other highlights include – inspiration from South Africa’s wine tourism and Tanzania’s food presentation; calls for Pan-African culinary exchanges and harmonised trade policies and recognition of Nigeria’s absence in top five African gastronomy destinations.
The Nigeria Food Summit, founded to position Nigeria as a global food destination by aggregating its food value chain, drew strong interest at the forum. Particularly among countries, without developed private-sector hospitality ecosystems, Nigeria’s model sparked curiosity and potential collaborations.
Soft commitments made include – chef participation at Rwanda’s Culinary Innovations Village; tourism and ingredient exchanges with Namibia, Cameroon, Morocco, and South Africa; and trials of Nigerian ingredients in continental kitchens.
The Forum reaffirmed the summit’s role as a national convening body for food-tourism advocacy. Moving forward, the Nigeria Food Summit will promote Pan-African chef exchanges and food events, champion indigenous Nigerian ingredients; and advocate for national hospitality standards, among others.
Reports have it that Nigeria’s presence at the forum is a significant step in its culinary evolution. The insights gained, according to the organisers, will shape the Nigeria Food Summit’s ongoing work and inform national tourism strategies, stressing that with coordinated effort and renewed momentum, Nigeria is poised to become a leading gastronomic destination on the African continent.
