EkoFlavours Season 3: Lagos Targets Next Generation Of Food Entrepreneurs

Kehinde Adeleye

The Lagos State Government has launched the third season of the EkoFlavours culinary competition to discover, develop and connect emerging food entrepreneurs with opportunities in Nigeria’s growing culinary industry.

The initiative, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems in partnership with the Culinary Group, is designed to help young talents turn their creativity and culinary skills into viable careers and businesses.

Speaking during the review and selection of contestants for EkoFlavours Season 3 on Thursday in Alausa, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, called for greater investment in creative opportunities for children and young people.

Olusanya said young people should be encouraged to explore their talents beyond conventional career paths, stressing that creativity should not be limited by traditional ideas about what constitutes a career.

She said culinary arts could give children and young people opportunities to experiment, express themselves and discover possibilities beyond the classroom.

The commissioner said EkoFlavours should not be seen merely as a competition but as a platform for creating pathways through which young people could develop their talents into sustainable careers and businesses.

She urged parents, organisations and individuals to support initiatives that promote creativity among young people, noting that many of them lack opportunities to explore their abilities outside the school environment.

Olusanya said collective support was needed to expose more children to creative opportunities and encourage them to see themselves as capable of creating businesses and solutions from their talents.

She added that the current selection process was only the beginning, with further rounds expected before finalists emerge for the main competition.

The commissioner also called on individuals and organisations passionate about the creative sector to support EkoFlavours and help expand opportunities for young talents across Lagos.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Emmanuel Audu, said the programme was designed to identify young people with talent and business interests in the food and culinary sector.

Audu said more than 300 applicants entered the competition, with the ongoing virtual pitching stage expected to identify the strongest contestants.

He said successful participants would proceed to a food camp, where they would receive training in culinary skills and the business aspects of the food industry.

According to him, 10 finalists will eventually be selected for the final stage, with the grand finale scheduled for November 2026 at a venue to be announced.

The programme also offers financial rewards and mentorship, with the overall winner set to receive ₦5 million, while the first and second runners-up will receive ₦3 million and ₦2 million respectively.

The Co-Chief Executive Officer of Culinary Group, Jennifer Odufuwa, described the third season as a significant milestone, noting the growth recorded by contestants from previous editions.

Odufuwa said EkoFlavours was designed to go beyond identifying culinary talents by providing emerging chefs with visibility, opportunities and connections to commercial pathways.

She said some former contestants had gone on to grow their businesses, secure partnerships with leading hotels and emerge as brand ambassadors.

According to her, the ultimate goal of the initiative is to move talented chefs from obscurity to visibility while providing the support and opportunities needed to build sustainable careers and businesses in the culinary industry.