Packaged Nigerian local cuisine will soon flood the market as women are being encouraged to showcase their talents in the art of culinary and coming up with methods of processing and packaging traditional meals.
The wife of Kogi State Governor, Hajia Halima Ladi Wada, believes celebrating local cuisine is to take us back to our roots and also to empower women in agriculture. She made this known at the Kogi State Food Festival held in Lokoja on Thursday, 20 June, 2013.
The Governor's wife expressed appreciation to Unilever for choosing Kogi State to host the food festival, which was not just confined to the State capital but also planned for all the local government headquarters in the State.
Unilever Nigeria Plc's representative, Mr. David Okeme said the good and arable land as well as abundance fisheries, made Kogi State significant for the food festival, the second of its kind in Nigeria. The maiden edition took place in Benue State which is known to be blessed with a lot of foodstuff; Mr. Okeme stated.
The Unilever's representative said the Company has been producing household items for over ninety years of its existence. He said, the program is a give back to women, and it gives them opportunity to showcase their talents in the kitchen.
He said, the prizes to be won are: a brand new car, a motorbike, fridges, and many consolation prizes.
Prof. B.A. Kalu, the Director Research and Development, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, who represented the Vice Chancellor, said, "The food festival is a clear manifestation from talking agriculture to doing agriculture." He made it known that the weather in Kogi State, makes production of many food crops and plantation agriculture favourable. He said that agriculture should be seen as business that generates wealth and upgrades the family income.
The participants in the competition were women from all nooks and crannies of Kogi State.
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Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria