Admin l Thursday, June 17, 2021
ABUJA, Nigeria – The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) has concluded arrangements to host the United Nations Global Observance of Sustainable Gastronomy Day, the Fifth in the World and first in Nigeria on Friday 18th June 2021 in collaboration with the Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China and the Centre for Arts and Culture, FCT Abuja.
With the theme: Nations, Foods, Cultures and Partnerships for Sustainable Developments, the event is scheduled to hold at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture, Area 10, Garki, Abuja beginning from 10:00am with an opening ceremony, and the exhibition of varieties of Nigerian delicacies and foreign cuisines that will last for the rest of the day.
In a statement, Director Media and Public Relations, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Sule said it was on December 21st 2016, that the United Nations General Assembly, adopted Resolution 71/246 which declared that the 18th June of every year be observed as a Sustainable Gastronomy Day.
“The first observance of ‘Sustainable Gastronomy Day’ was on Sunday, 18th June 2017. Which makes this year’s observance the fifth globally, and the first in Nigeria, championed by NIHOTOUR, the nation’s apex
public Agency responsible for training, research and regulation of professional practice in the Travel-Tourism and Hospitality industry”, he said.
The director described Gastronomy as a cultural expression of nations through their food choices, sources of ingredients and types of cuisines which thrives in culturally rich destinations like Nigeria as the most competitive Gastronomy tourist destination in Africa because of our corresponding unique foods culture and enticing cuisines of international repute, such as the popular Nigerian Jollof.
“The Concept of Sustainable Gastronomy seeks to promote cultural cuisines and sustainable diets. The term compels hospitality service providers and ‘food tourists’ to focus on the variety and benefits of native ingredients in local cuisines, to enhance sustainable production, consumption and to highlight humanity’s variety of food systems”, he said.
