Lagos First Lady Rewards 2025 LBCI Cooking Champions
By Daniji Emmanuel
The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has fulfilled her promise to celebrate the winners of the 2025 Lagos Boy Child Initiative (LBCI) Cooking Competition, with a package of rewards that blended training, shopping, and fine dining.
The champions and their families were recently hosted to an elegant luncheon at the Red Restaurant, Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, where the First Lady applauded their creativity and resilience. She described their achievement as a sign that the Lagos boy child is steadily breaking barriers and redefining roles once shaped by stereotypes.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu reminded guests that the LBCI, which she launched in October 2021, was designed to protect, nurture, and empower boys in Lagos. According to her, the initiative balances advocacy by giving as much attention to boys as society has given to the girl child. “The Lagos Boy Child Initiative was conceived to provide balance in advocacy. While efforts to uplift the girl child have been widespread and commendable, we must also pay equal attention to the boy child, guiding and equipping them to become responsible leaders, professionals, and citizens,” she said.
One of the highlights of this year’s competition, the First Lady observed, was its power to dismantle old beliefs that the kitchen is the exclusive space of women. “This cooking contest has shown that with the right platform, boys can thrive in any field,” she added.
The Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Ali-Balogun, also lauded the initiative, noting that it reinforced the value of practical life skills alongside classroom learning. He explained that training young people in skills such as cooking prepares them to become well-rounded citizens, while also supporting the state’s wider vision of raising a balanced generation.
Chairman of the Lagos Boy Child Initiative, Mrs. Scholarstica Adeniyi-Abass, described the cooking contest as one of the flagship programmes of the initiative. She praised the First Lady’s consistency in supporting the cause, stressing that the competition had become a platform for boys to challenge societal norms and discover new opportunities. “Beyond the prizes, the fine dining, professional training, and industry exposure will leave a lasting impact on these boys,” she said.
The winners received shopping vouchers from Ikeja, Lagos, Badagry, and Epe divisions, with each team member going home with vouchers worth ₦100,000, ₦80,000, and ₦50,000 for shopping at Justrite Superstores and Ebeano Supermarkets.
But the rewards did not end there. The leaders of the winning teams will undergo a three-week, fully sponsored continental culinary course, made possible through a collaboration between LBCI, the Dipo Jaji Foundation, and Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School. The boys were also given a behind-the-scenes tour of Eko Hotels’ kitchens, including the Red Restaurant and the Nigerian Restaurant Kitchen, exposing them to the inner workings of the hospitality industry.
For the young champions, the day was more than a celebration of victory. It was an introduction to new possibilities and a reminder that when given the right tools, the boy child can rise to excellence in any sphere.
