LAGOS GOVT UNVEILS EKO FLAVOURS TO ENGAGE YOUTHS, LOCAL VENDORS 

 …Organised market critical to lowering food prices, says Agric Commissioner
 …Winner to get N5m cash reward, ambassadorial deal, other prizes

The Lagos State Government has unveiled the Eko Flavours project, a transformative platform to showcase the state as the melting point of Nigeria as well as the culinary prowess of youths and local market vendors in the State.

The Eko Flavours was unveiled during a press conference by the Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abiola Olusanya, on Friday at the Fresh Food Hub at Idi Oro in the Mushin area of the State.

Olusanya said the Eko Flavours project, which is in partnership with the private sector, was introduced to drive efforts to transform food markets in Lagos State as part of the initiatives by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration to better shape the state’s food system.

She said Eko Flavours, which is meant to be a culinary platform for food vendors and chefs to showcase their talent and interact with food enthusiasts, would be held annually, disclosing that the 2024 edition will be held in August.

The Commissioner also underscored the importance of having organised market across the state, noting that it will ease the purchasing of food items as well as translate to lower prices of items because demand could be measured and prices could be negotiated. 

“The main aim of the Eko Flavours project, aside from engaging young culinary enthusiasts and food lovers, is to showcase Lagos as a transformative state when it comes to experiences around food. We seem to have more affinity for just getting our foods inside our kitchen without understanding the logistics that go into the production side of things,” she said.

Olusanya said the Eko Flavours project would showcase the cooking skills of different chefs who reside in Lagos, noting that various cultural dishes would be displayed to the delight of residents.

She said chefs who must have the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) should go to the project’s dedicated website, www.ekoflavours.lagosfreshfoodhub.com, from August 1 to register to participate in the competition.

Speaking during the press conference, the Co-CEOs of Tantacom Group, Mrs. Olufunke Adu and Mrs. Jennifer Odufuwa, who were representatives of the Project Management Agency, said all participants would be adequately compensated with consolation prizes, noting that the idea of Lagos Flavours is to encourage unity among all the various ethnicities and tribes with their various cooking skills and dishes in Lagos as the melting point of diversification in the country.

Adu said the Eko Flavours project was designed to discover talents and bring together upcoming chefs, enthusiasts, and people who love cooking to engage with the community, adding that the competition will provide a platform for foodies in the state to explore a variety of cuisines and to showcase their skills beyond their expectations.

She said: “The website for the competition would be open on August 1 for registration by participants, and on August 5, residents are expected to vote for their favourites, By August 9, the owners of the best 50 engaged content posted on the website would be given vouchers to buy fresh food items at the Mushin Fresh Food Hub, which they will cook. Thereafter, the best 20 chefs would be invited to the food hub to compete from where the best five would be picked for the final on August 31.”

Odufuwa said the winner of the Lagos Flavours will be crowned Eko Flavours Champion Ambassador for one year and also go home with a N5 million cash reward, an award plaque, a one-year supply of free products, a N200,000 shopping voucher to shop at the Mushin Fresh Food Hub, a certificate of achievement, and a winner trophy, while the first runner-up will win a N3 million cash prize, a six-month supply of products, a N100,000 shopping voucher, a certificate of achievement, and an award plaque. 

She said the second runner-up will go home with N1 million, a three-month supply of products, a N50,000 shopping voucher, a certificate of achievement, and an award plaque, while the fourth and fifth positions will also win cash prizes.

“Just post a cooking vlog on your social media handle and tag us. The content with the highest interaction with likes and comments will be among the 50 chefs to be selected. From the 50, we will pick the best 20 who will participate in the last process for the quarterfinals and semi-final stages, where the winner, first, and second runner-up will emerge. All contenders would be judged based on taste, cleanliness, time management, and presentation,” she said.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Mr. Emmanuel Audu, urged many players in the food ecosystem to take full advantage of the opportunity of the Eko Flavours, which according to him has the potential to launch participants into global limelight.