Mekwuye leads 40 chefs to showcase Nigerian food in Gambia

The President of the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria (APCN), Chef Dr. Eric Mekwuye, is leading a delegation of more than 40 chefs, judges and officials to the West Africa Food Festival (WAFFEST) 2026 in Banjul, The Gambia, to showcase Nigeria’s indigenous cuisines and culinary heritage.

The festival, scheduled for October 15 to 21, 2026, will bring together culinary professionals and delegates from about 35 countries to celebrate West African food culture, gastronomy, tourism and hospitality.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos recently, Mekwuye said Team Nigeria would showcase the country’s rich culinary diversity through traditional dishes, indigenous beverages, cultural attire and languages representing the six geopolitical zones.

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He said the participation was designed to promote Nigerian cuisine internationally, preserve indigenous cooking traditions and position gastronomy as a strategic driver of tourism, cultural diplomacy, employment and economic development.

The Nigerian delegation will also compete in several culinary events, including the Jollof War, Country Cuisine, Grandma’s Cuisine, Chef of the Year, Plated Dessert, Cake, Bread, Vegan Challenge, Gastronomy Creation Challenge and Barbecue Challenge.

Mekwuye said the festival would provide Nigerian culinary professionals with opportunities to demonstrate their skills, exchange knowledge with international counterparts and strengthen the country’s presence in the regional and global hospitality industry.

The APCN president described food as an important expression of cultural identity, noting that Nigerian cuisine could serve as a vehicle for telling the country’s stories, preserving traditions and deepening cultural connections across borders.

The Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria, founded in 2011 by High Chief Dr. Paulinus Okon, its current Board of Trustees chairman, is a registered professional body representing chefs, cooks and other culinary practitioners across more than 21 states.

According to Mekwuye, the association works to advance culinary professionalism, improve food safety standards, develop practitioners’ skills and promote indigenous Nigerian cuisine through training, competitions and international engagements.

APCN represents Nigerian culinary professionals through international and continental platforms, including the African Chef Alliance, African Chefs United and Worldchefs, also known as the World Association of Chefs’ Societies.

The association also highlighted its achievements in advancing culinary development, including the 11th edition of its International Culinary Summit, held in Abuja from June 8 to 12, 2026, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy. The summit featured the African Chefs Presidents Forum.

It also initiated the National Mentor-Mentee Challenge to nurture emerging culinary talent. One of its mentees, Chef Anedo Miracle, won the regional title at WAFFEST 2023.

APCN, which co-conceived WAFFEST with the Chef Association of Ghana in 2018, hosted the festival in Lagos in 2023 and has continued to promote African culinary excellence through regional cooperation and professional development.

The 2026 edition in The Gambia is being organised by the Gambian Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in conjunction with the Gambia Chefs Association.

As part of preparations for the international festival, APCN announced ValueJet as its official airline partner, providing travel support for the Nigerian delegation and the transportation of its culinary equipment and other cargo to Banjul.

Mekwuye said the partnership would improve access to international culinary events by reducing travel costs and supporting the participation of Nigerian chefs in competitions, training programmes and cultural exchanges.

He explained that the collaboration would also offer ValueJet increased brand visibility through its branding on APCN’s official chefs’ jackets, promotional materials and social media platforms.

In return, APCN would promote the airline’s services among its members and wider culinary networks in Africa and internationally, subject to the availability of suitable routes and schedules.

The partnership, he said, reflects the potential for collaboration between the aviation and hospitality sectors to advance tourism, professional development and Nigeria’s cultural presence abroad.

Mekwuye also announced that APCN had secured the hosting rights for WAFFEST 2027 in Nigeria, describing the development as an opportunity to strengthen the country’s position as a leading destination for culinary tourism in West Africa.

He said the event would bring together chefs, hospitality operators, food businesses, tourism authorities, cultural organisations and delegates from across the region to celebrate food, creativity and professional excellence.

According to him, hosting the festival would create opportunities for Nigerian culinary practitioners, attract visitors and investment, promote culinary education and deepen regional cooperation.

He added that the event would provide a platform for showcasing Nigeria’s indigenous ingredients, traditional cooking methods and contemporary culinary innovations to an international audience.

Mekwuye said APCN remained committed to promoting food safety, nutrition, professional ethics, culinary research and sustainable food practices while preserving the country’s culinary heritage.

He expressed optimism that the Nigerian team’s participation in WAFFEST 2026 would further strengthen the international visibility of Nigerian cuisine and lay the groundwork for a successful festival in Nigeria in 2027.

Responding to the partnership arrangement, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Value Jet Airlines, Capt. Omololu Majekodunmi described the collaboration as the beginning of new milestones for both organisations, expressing confidence that it would contribute to the development of onboard cuisine and strengthen the airline’s engagement with the culinary profession.

He said ValueJet expected the quality of cuisine served aboard its aircraft to improve as the collaboration progressed, adding that the airline was proud to work with professionals capable of bringing greater expertise and creativity to its food service offering.

The ValueJet chief executive also expressed optimism about the long-term prospects of the arrangement, suggesting that closer collaboration between airlines and chefs could create opportunities for a more specialised approach to in-flight catering.

He disclosed that ValueJet had established partnerships with other organisations, including the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and other organisations, describing the agreement with APCN as another step in its partnership strategy.