Nigeria has reaffirmed its ambition to emerge as a leading gastronomic tourism destination in Africa, as celebrated culinary expert, Chef Gbolabo Adebakin, popularly known as Chef Gibbs, presented a bold, future-facing strategy at the Second Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa.
The high-level forum, hosted in Arusha, Tanzania, was organised by UN Tourism in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania, the UN Tourism Regional Office for Africa, and the Basque Culinary Center.
Chef Gibbs, who represented Nigeria at the continental event, used the platform to outline a multi-pronged strategy designed to elevate Nigeria’s food culture beyond national borders. He stressed the need to shift from Nigeria’s current seasonal, event-based tourism model to a more sustainable, year-round experience-driven approach that leverages the country’s diverse culinary heritage.
At the heart of Chef Gibbs’ presentation was a five-point agenda that seeks to redefine Nigeria’s gastronomic footprint in Africa and beyond. His goals included showcasing Nigeria’s vibrant food scene on global platforms, introducing the Nigeria Food Summit to regional and international stakeholders, building cross-border culinary networks, promoting sustainable development through food, and positioning Nigeria as a central hub for gastronomy tourism.
Central to his proposal was the «Experience Nigeria 365» campaign, an initiative that would promote immersive, year-round food experiences across Nigeria’s regions. Additional strategies outlined by Chef Gibbs include an annual Strategy Summit focused on policy alignment, a centralized digital platform for food-tourism information, targeted investment incentives, and national hospitality capacity-building programmes.
«These ideas are not just conceptual. They are rooted in the urgent need for Nigeria to move from potential to performance, from flavour to footprint, on the global culinary map,» Chef Gibbs noted.
The Nigeria Food Summit, which Chef Gibbs founded, drew strong interest at the forum. Conceived as a national convening body to champion Nigeria’s culinary heritage and value chain, the Summit was presented as a model for other African nations–especially those lacking structured private-sector hospitality ecosystems.
Countries such as Rwanda, Namibia, Cameroon, Morocco, and South Africa expressed interest in partnerships, ranging from chef exchanges to ingredient trials and tourism collaborations. One of the more tangible outcomes was a soft commitment for Nigerian chef participation at Rwanda’s upcoming Culinary Innovations Village.
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Chef Gibbs also highlighted best practices observed from fellow African nations. He praised South Africa’s integration of wine tourism into its national brand and Tanzania’s meticulous approach to food presentation, both of which serve as useful templates for Nigeria’s journey ahead.
Additionally, the forum featured calls for deeper Pan-African culinary integration, including harmonised trade policies, cross-border tourism packages, and the recognition of indigenous ingredients in national development plans.
Despite Nigeria’s rich culinary history, it was notably absent from the list of Africa’s top five gastronomy tourism destinations, a status Chef Gibbs said can be reversed with coordinated policy, investment, and marketing strategies.
Chef Gibbs’ roadmap includes new initiatives such as a «Gastronomy Passport» campaign, designed to promote local culinary tourism among citizens, and expanded advocacy for national hospitality standards and immersive culinary experiences.
«The Nigeria Food Summit will continue to push boundaries and promote cross-continental collaboration. We will achieve more when we consolidate our efforts as a collective,» he affirmed.
