New dawn for travellers as airlines get set to serve Nigerian dishes on board

Mrs. Shimite Katung,
founder, African PotNigerians have never had it so good as the African Pot, last week, assembled an array of Nigerian foods that are almost going into extinction to feed Abuja residents free of charge. Deputy Editor, BANKOLE MAKINDE, attended the carnival-like Food Fair, here reports.

THE good times are now here for air travellers in the country as they no longer need to depend on foreign dishes served on both domestic and international routes by the various airlines doing business in Nigeria. As things stand today, all airlines, either on local flight or foreign routes, would be convinced to put on the menu list, at least one variety of Nigerian delicacy for the enjoyment of Nigerians on board in particular and those of other black people in the Diaspora. This giant leap was one of the decisions reached in Abuja on Friday at the end of the Business Session put together by African Pot to introduce to Nigerians and foreigners alike, foods in Africa’s biggest market, the first ever Nigerian International Food Fair. The carnival-like ceremony took place at the Arts and Crafts Village, behind the prestigious Sheraton Hotel, Abuja on Thursday May 1 and Friday, May 2, 2008. Pioneering the introduction of the Nigerian dishes on flights is Virgin Nigeria Airline owned by British-born billionaire businessman, Mr. Richard Branson.

Coincidentally, Virgin Nigeria was the first airline to start showcasing Nigerian Home Videos on their flights and according to the representative of the Airline at the event, Mr. Amos Edeme, steps, such as this, were a deliberate policy to export Nigeria’s culture. He described the future as very bright and promised that Virgin Nigeria would jealously showcase Nigerian foods on their flights in such a way that other airlines would have no choice than to follow the trend. Promising the support of his company for the purposeful national initiative, the Managing Director of Sunola Vegetable Oil described Nigerian as the big brother of Africa which should lead the way in projecting Africa positively to the world.The Indian said Sunola started operations in Nigeria 18 years ago and is the second leading brand in the country.

Kudos for the successful hosting of the event would however go to the initiator, Mrs. Shimite Katung for her vision and to the duo of Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, who tasked Katung to surprise Nigerians by ensuring that Nigerian foods are served on domestic and foreign airlines and also the Social Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) which was then under the Secretary, Mr. Olusegun Awolowo, which became a pioneering partner providing moral and financial backing for the African Pot Team which led to the successful hosting of the event. And the dignitaries trooped in, in droves to have a taste of free Nigerian foods which they never tasted for years from the 774 local government areas of country of which each was represented by 20 professionally-reliable cooks. Name them, from Ikokore-ijebu to Ofada Rice , from Pupuru to Kilishi and Dadawa to Agidi, there was plenty to eat and drink and the partners/sponsors too never disappointed as their various products were conspicuously displayed and sold out at very moderate and reduced prices.

Those who assisted African Pot this year alone included, NEPC, NTDC, NEPAD, Sunola vegetable Oil, ONGA, Cocacola, FCTA, NIHOTOURS, Basdor service, Nigerian Food Reserve Agency, Agura Hotel, NAPEP and NIPC. To pat Shimite Katung at the back for a job well done were Ambassador Toluhi, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, Dr. Sunday Ehine, Mr. William Ezeagu, Mr. Amos Edene, Mrs. Doyin Ogunbiyi, the MD of Sunola and her husband, Mr. Katung among many other eminent Nigerians. Day one of the Africa’s Premiere Television Culinary Programme, that is African Pot, was Nigeria’s First Food Fair which started with a cooking competition with the theme “Positioning Nigeria for Culinary Tourism & Promoting Cultural Cuisines”. Under the competition, registered contestants from the six geo-political zones of Nigeria competed in the making of Nigerian finger foods and delicacies and fantastic cash and other prizes were won at the end of the event.

The second and final day saw stakeholders in the Culinary Tourism Industry, Airline Operators, Bus Operators, Hoteliers, Restaurateurs, Tourism Operators, Fast Food Outlets and so on, met to discuss Culinary Tourism in Nigeria and the promotion of Culinary outlets in both National and International Tourism Menu. At the end of the cooking affair, Ogun State Gateway Global Caterers under the leadership of Mrs. Doyin Ogunbiyi, the Managing Director of Gateway Tourism Company Abeokuta, stole the show with the Ofada rice delicacy served in traditional leaves with the rice spiced with pepper and grilled meat. An elated Mrs. Katung, at the end of the event expressed her deepest satisfaction saying that Nigeria should be delivering people of other nations from hunger and food crisis and not the other way round. Hear her: “I am very satisfied with the preparation and outcome. In terms of organisation, we put everything in place for the first day and also for the second day and what was left were for everybody to respond to what was available.

I am happy that people from the Cuban Embassy were able to, have just like the Americans, the Chinese, the Indians and so many embassies, send representatives. The people who prepared the foods responded promptly and the people from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) were there just like those from NIHOTOUR, NTDC and all the Agencies we invited were able to come like NEPAD and Virgin Nigeria which has promised to look into adopting a meal to be served on their flights. So, Virgin Nigeria can start as our National Carrier and then, I think everybody else can, from there, take a cue. The people from Tarzan and Jiffy were there and they promised to take along with them the packs we made. “We are very happy. What we have now is that some British people are here and they are actually talking to me about working with African Pot towards the next Nigerian International Food Fair as they have been told that we handled this almost single-handedly with the support of a few of our partners and that if we could do a very big thing like this, that is the Food Competition of Thursday, the Business Luncheon we are in now and the musical carnival coming later tonight, then, they are of the believe that this is what they want and with sponsors like Cocacola, Sunola and Promasidor coming from South-Africa, India and Nigeria, they are quite encouraged and they believe that with their own net-working as well, we will be able to get what we want.

“So, we are sitting down with a lot of people with a lot to offer and this is all we wanted. If one looks at the cost of the event, he or she would readily give up but we are looking at where we are going. Somebody has to be the Guinea Pig and I have chosen to be one but I am happy about the backingof the press. We are here now and there is no going back. “Everyone is now talking about 2009. The African Business Round Table of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as well as Ambassador Toluhi who represented him today, said they are ready for us to constitute a panel next week so that we can start to plan ahead of 2009 and they would handle the networking with other African Countries and the G-8, members of the most industralised nations of the world and that is fantastic”. Abuja night crooners would however not forget in a hurry, the scintillating tunes dished out by Lagos-based funkified musicians such as 9ice, All Star Band, Tee A, Gordons and AY who were all led by the Legendary Sammie Okposo.