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From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The love and culinary expertise for different intercontinental cuisines was brought to bear as 40 Nigerian chefs took part in the West Africa Food Festival (WAFFEST) in the Republic of Ghana, where they defeated 15 other African countries in confectionery, jollof rice and bread production. The food aficionados, who were uncertain of their outings, also clinched three silver medals in dessert preparation, among others.
National president, Association of Professional Chefs in Nigeria (APCN), Paulinus Okon, who spoke to newsmen recently in Abuja, explained that the chefs came from 26 states in the country. He disclosed that the next edition would be hosted by Nigeria at least to justify the tag of ‘Giant of Africa.’
He said: “Our journey to Ghana was an interesting one. It started many years ago when we came about having the West Africa Food Festival. At the level of the West Africa it started in 2017.
“And in 2022, Ghana hosted it. It was quite an interesting one, journeying through the road to have some tour as we transverse through Benin Republic, Togo and so many African countries before getting to Ghana.
“We did not just go and return empty-handed; we came back with two gold medals and three silver medals.
“Sixteen West Africa countries participated. Nigeria came first in confectionery. We came first in bread production, silver in dessert and jollof production. Those were the categories we competed.
“Over 40 Nigerian chefs travelled to Ghana. We went collectively as a team which cut across 26 states in the country.
“The good news for Nigerian chefs association is that 2023, we will be hosting the all West Africa event. We are the giant of Africa and there are a lot of things to put in together to justify that.”
While countries like Ghana, Botswana and Liberia provided logistic support for their chefs, especially air fare and accomodations, Okon said they (Nigerians) were left to fend for themselves. According to him, they had to task themselves and board a bus to Accra, adding that they had to share rooms- six persons per apartment.
He, however, stated that it was only the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), that assisted them all through, adding that the support was as a result of the milk of kindness of the director general because APCN was not built under NTDC.
The cook noted that it was not yet tardy for the Federal Government to fully support and invest in the tourism industry which he said was a gold mine that had not been tapped.
He said: “We did not get sponsors directly from the government but the NTDC has been so supportive to the association. This is the third time NTDC is showing great concern for the association. But we are looking for a major support from the government.
“What NTDC is doing is out of its own kindness because the chef association has not been built under NTDC and, of course, we do not share in its budget. So, whatever it is doing for us it is out of its kindness and we say a very big thank you.”
“The first challenge was going by road. We wanted to make sure that we travel with so many chefs as possible who could afford the transportation fare.
“Left for the association, we would have travelled by air. We have other teams, for instance, from Botswana that is not even a West Africa country, they were sponsored by their government.
“Last year, the Ghanian government sponsored its citizens to Liberia and they were able to fly. It was hectic.
“We are believing that by the special grace of God, in no distance time, we should have the Nigerian government supporting the association. Because whatever we are doing is to protect and promote our cultural heritage, particularly our cuisines.
“Going to Ghana was not just to cook continental dishes. We went to Ghana to display our local and national cuisines which is also a way of protecting our country’s food.
“Early this year, we organised our annual summit which we contributed money from our individual purses. So, it has not been easy. It has been stressful and financially exhausting.”
Apart from the unavailability of logistics support, he said the Federal Government did not accord them a heroic welcome despite their feat. He lamented that even the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), which they are directly under, did not recognise them in spite of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
“The government did not give us a heroic welcome. On that note, we were not received.
“As I rightly said, we have NIHOTOUR We have NTDC. NIHOTOUR is more of food because they are into tourism.
“I want to tell you that the two director generals have been making their own efforts to ensure that the association is carried along in their various parastatals.
“But that of NTDC is on the high side. We should be having NIHOTOUR working closely with the association. We are open to NIHOTOUR but we are not gaining financial collaboration from it not to talk of the NTDC.
“But NTDC has been doing very well for us. We are calling on NIHOTOUR, to see reasons why it should work with us. I want to tell you that in 2016, we signed an MoU with NIHOTOUR that is to tell you the extend the association has pushed to ensure that we do not have a different parents. NIHOTOUR should be our real parents.
“But the way it is going, it is more or less pushing that responsibility to NTDC and I have told my members that we are open to any of the government agencies that will be ready to adopt us.
“At this point, we can be adopted. Also, kudos goes to FTAN. We registered officially with FTAN. So, we are members to FTAN. We have tabled this same issue with FTAN and it has given an ultimatum to all their members to see how they can assist our association.
“Before embarking on the journey, we wrote to NTDC, NIHOTOUR FTAN, NCAC and other agencies. NIHOTOUR is aware of our trip.
“It is not late. We sincerely want to appeal to the DG of NIHOTOUR in particular to see how we can have a better synergy. Originally, we should be having NIHOTOUR as our first parent.”
Meanwhile, APCN, North Central Vice President, Godfrey Mario Odoh, dissected the many hurdles of chefs in Nigeria, ranging from poor renumerations, especially service charge, lack of proper training and recognition by hotel owners.
He said: “As a chef, working with heat, knife, working under pressure, working with a timeline has not been easy. Chefs are not given the maximum recognition especially from their employers.
“Recently, when the hotel owners forum did their event, I was opportune to be one of the panelists and I told them on the area of service charge.
“Glory should not go to the owners of the hotel. These monies have already been billed in to everything and the guests pay these bills.
“But at the end of the day even the annual ratio which is 60/40 is not adhered to. It means that the wages that come to the chefs is very small. In fact, it is nothing to write home about.
“We are calling on employers to look into the problem. If you travel to other countries, you will notice that the wages of chefs are on the high side.
“But part of the problems is the lack of training of our chefs. We do not train them.
“We leave them solely to train themselves. And each employer will want to have a trained chef in his organization.
“If you train our chefs automatically, we are going to have trained chefs on the street of Nigeria. We are calling on hotel owners to train their chefs.”
Odoh, who is APCN Director in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter, proposed that chefs should receive a minimum of N100,000 monthly.
“At least a minimum of N100,000 per month. We have chefs that are taking N40,000 to N50,000. So, with the constraints, we are looking at N100,000.
To strengthen the hospitality business in the country, the food expert proposed that a full-fledge ministry of tourism should be created.
A lactating mother, Goodness Ejiofor, who was on the trip, said it was stressful traveling with a 10-month-old baby to Ghana. She said prayers of her supporter bolstered her courage to persevere the stress.
“Traveling by road was not easy. I carried my baby. I was the only lactating mother on the trip.
“If we had support from the government we would have gone by air. When we traveled my baby was 10 months old.
“But because I love my country, that was why I took up the challenge. We had to squat in one apartment for a week; six people per room.
“Some of us used wrapper to sleep on the ground. We had to do it to promote our cuisine. Even when we were going, people were singing and wishing us well.
Chef Amos Emmanuel Adebayo, recounted how is lost his job because of the competition, adding that even his salary was not paid.
“I lost my job in the process of going to Ghana. My salary for that month was not paid. But to the glory of God what I went there, I got it,” he said.
