L – R : Chef Nick Maaji, Vice President South West, Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria Moronke Azeez, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) Funmi Osineye, Business Manager, Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Nigeria PLC Chef Eric Mekwuye, Director of Training and Corporate Matters, Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria Nestlé Professional celebrated International Chefs Day 2022 at the new Lagos
State Culinary Academy, Ikeja, with students from public and private secondary
schools across Lagos.
The event included training on the importance of healthy eating and lifestyles in
line with this year’s International Chef’s Day theme: “GROWING A HEALTHY
FUTURE’’.
“The wellbeing of their children is the fundamental goal for parents and caregivers.
It is also an indicator of societal development. We are therefore committed to
working with stakeholders to enhance the wellbeing of generations to come
through nutrition education as well as continuous provision of high-quality
nutritious food and beverages.
Today’s event is a platform for continuous
engagement to encourage children to be creative with food,” said Funmi Osineye,
Business Manager, Nestlé Professional.
Funmi acknowledged the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria for
consistently partnering with Nestlé to achieve the company’s global objective of
helping 50 million children live healthier lives by 2030.
“We want to thank the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria for partnering
with us through the years. We are also grateful to the administrators of the Lagos
State Technical and Vocational Education Board for their collaboration to celebrate
Chef’s Day 2022. We are delighted to witness the sincere interest in skilling up
young people in Lagos State for gainful employment in the hospitality sector,” she
added.
According to Paul Okon, National President, Association of Professional Chefs
Nigeria, “It has been a great pleasure engaging, educating, and enlightening
children on healthy eating as we believe this is the foundation for a healthy future.
We sincerely appreciate the role Nestlé Professional has played over the years,
promoting Nigeria’s Food Tourism, supporting capacity development of Chefs,
and empowering the next generation of Chefs”.
In her comments, Moronke Azeez, Executive Secretary, Lagos State Technical and
Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) said, “We are delighted to be working with
Nestlé on this laudable initiative which has been very impactful and a great
learning exercise for the children. The event is fully aligned with the objective for
the recent establishment of the Lagos Culinary Academy aimed at producing
professionals for the hospitality and food service industry while equipping
students for entrepreneurship and self-employment”.
The event was commemorated via a fun-filled educative workshop and practical
sessions coordinated by the chefs with a hands-on approach for the children,
creating recipes out of fresh food items including vegetables, fruits and preparing
healthy dishes during the cooking sessions.
The beneficiaries of the training came from Public and Private Secondary schools
in Lagos, and the Lagos State Technical College. Other participants included
Chefs from the Lagos State Chapter of the Association of Professional Chefs
Nigeria.
Speaking on her experience, Hope Shulamite an SS2 student of Ilupeju Senior
Grammar School, said, “I am happy that I was chosen to be part of this event. I
particularly enjoyed creating the recipes and cooking with the chefs and members
of my group.
I will definitely try out the recipe again at home and in school with
my friends during our home economics practical. On behalf of all the students
here today, I want to thank the organizers for giving us this wonderful learning
opportunity”.
Nestlé and the Association of Professional Chefs Nigeria have been partners since
2014, making value adding contributions in the foodservice industry, and helping
to bring nutrition, health, and wellness education to present and future chefs.
