•First runner-up goes home with N2m, third position gets N1m
•Competition will create job opportunities, sustainable future in food sector, says Agric Commissioner
A 10-year-old chef, Boluwatife Jaiye-Gbenle, has won a N3 million cash prize in the Lagos State Government culinary food cooking competition tagged Eko Flavours Junior.
Jaiye-Gbenle defeated over 200 participants to become the Eko Flavours Junior Champion and Ambassador of the Lagos Food System in the competition organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in conjunction with the Culinara Group.
Oluwaseyifunmi Quassi emerged as first runner-up with a N2 million prize, while James Okafor and Akinsola Oluwatobiloba were both second runners-up, winning N1 million each, during the final of the competition held at the Fresh Food Hub Idi Oro, Mushin area of Lagos State.
Adelugba Semilore, Agugua Kamsi, Princess Tifeoluwani, Muhammadul Awwal Tijani, Oluwatara Semilore Marvellous, and Adewara Daystar, who were part of the 10 finalists, were also rewarded for their efforts with consolation prizes.
The Eko Flavours Junior Project is a culinary competition for children between 10 and 13 years old to showcase their talents in making delightful meals and to discover young cooking talents to promote healthy food culture.
Speaking during the final of the competition attended by government officials, sponsors from private organisations, and large crowds from different sectors, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, said the initiative was conceived by the wife of the Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, to encourage creativity and teamwork among children as well as pride in the nation’s food heritage.
Olusanya, who was optimistic that the competition would create job opportunities and a sustainable future in the food sector, urged participants to see the competition as a stepping stone to greater heights in the culinary sector.
She said: “It is a big win for the winners. Everyone here won today. But I think more importantly, we have achieved our aim of showcasing the culinary skills of our kids and also exposing them to the fact that there is a lot of opportunity in the food system space.
“For the winners, I believe they are going to get endorsement deals from some of our sponsors. They would work with us in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems as our ambassadors.
“We have a lot of events that we also need catering services for, so nothing stops them from being a part of us. And that is the essence of what we are doing: creating chefs, master creators, and food content creators for the future.”
Speaking about the competition, the co-CEO of Culinara Group, Mrs. Olufunke Adu and Jennifer Oduduwa, commended all the participants for putting in their efforts in the competition, saying they are all winners.
Adu said the Eko Flavour Junior was organised to encourage a shift from the regular white-collar job for the young minds to embrace culinary and other vocational skills to excel in life.
She challenged parents to train their children from a young age in cooking, washing, and other house chores to be useful to themselves and the society at large.
Odufuwa said about 200 participants took part in the event, out of which 10 people and 20 people who participated in the semi-final of the cooking competition were selected as finalists to participate in the Grand Finale that produced Jaiye-Gbenle as Eko Flavour Junior Champion.
She said: “We want to encourage the children that beyond the classroom, they can take on leadership roles in terms of the skills and the things that bring family together, which is cooking. Cooking is one of the things that bring families together. We want the kids to know that they can aspire to be somebody within the food ecosystem.”
The winner of the Eko Flavours Junior, Boluwatife Jaiye-Gbenle, said he is excited to win the cooking competition and appreciated his mother for teaching him to cook from age nine.
“I am very happy for winning the competition. My mother taught me how to cook. I want to say thank you very much to my mother for teaching me how to cook. I want to advise other co-contestants that did not win today not to give up. They should try again and try harder,” he said.
Some of the participants thanked the Lagos State Government for giving them the platform to display their creative cooking skills.
