2017 LAGOS INTERNATIONAL FOOD, DRINKS FESTIVAL HOLDS SATURDAY

Ahead the second edition of the Lagos International Food and Drinks Festival slated for April 22 and 23, 2017, the organisers have promised a wide array of exciting activities-indigenous cuisines and drinks sampled from over 40 Nigerian ethnic groups; live musical performances by renowned Nigerian artists; live comedy shows; various competitions and seminars on food and nutrition, among others, to make the annual event a success.
The Festival Director, Mr. Ike Steve, who disclosed this during the unveiling of the 2017 edition, said the festival was inspired by the pervasive cultural energy that has translated into the “bold flavours of our cuisine and the pungent, heady sensibilities of our spirits.”
As part of the organisers’ efforts to expand the event, a related event-‘The Beer Festival, Lagos’, will be co-hosted with the food festival, which promises to be the largest annual gathering of beer enthusiasts and those who want to learn more about beer.
Explaining the rationale behind the beer festival, Steve said it is designed to celebrate Nigeria’s shared drinking culture and a love of celebrating life.
He noted that on a nationalistic front, the festival, when evolved to its true potential, would bolster the business behind the food industry. “Think of the generation of increased economic activity for the chefs, caterers and culinary gurus, the restaurants, hotels and eateries that house them and the amazing spinoffs it would create for local suppliers of goods and services to the food industry.
“Now expand the horizon of the thinking to what this means when we introduce global exposure to the product. The world will understand that Nigeria is so much more than her current stereotype. This will benefit our tourism product, increase exports of both goods and services and help generate much-needed foreign exchange. Herein lies the genesis of the Nigerian International Food and Drink Festival-a two day celebration of the finest food and drink Nigeria has to offer.”