… as Nigeria Food Summit 2026 ended
Lai Mohammed, former Information Minister and industry stakeholders have called for the standardization of Nigeria’s gastronomy sector to boost food tourism, exports, and global competitiveness.
Speaking at the Nigeria Food Summit 2026 in Lagos, themed ‘Gastronomy in Nigeria: Journey to Standardization,’ experts reinforced the urgent need for collaboration, innovation, quality assurance, policy alignment and industry-wide standards that will strengthen Nigeria’s food systems, enhance food safety, promote culinary tourism and position Nigerian gastronomy as a globally competitive industry.
In his keynote address, Mohammed, who is currently the special adviser to the Secretary-General of UN Tourism, and chairman of the Board of Trustees and Governing Council of the Eko Tourism Foundation, urged stakeholders to view Nigerian cuisine not simply as cultural heritage, but as an economic asset capable of driving tourism, exports, investment and national development.
“Standardizing Nigerian gastronomy is not a cosmetic exercise – it is nation-building work. Countries that succeed globally document, protect, regulate and intentionally promote their cuisine,” he said.
