One of Abuja’s leading travel and tourism agency, CMD Tours recently held its quarterly Food Tour, an international food sampling evening that seeks to create business opportunities for guests.  Cuisines from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire were showcased in the highly entertaining evening. Among the guests at the event were members of the diplomatic corps, Nigerian government functionaries and private sector businessmen and women from the private sector.

Delicacies from these two countries such Jollof rice, Wache, kenke and some other delicacies were showcased.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Cote d’Ivoire’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Nigeria, Ambassador Traore Kalilou said the food fest offers his country the opportunity not only to showcase his country’s cuisines, but reiterate the fact Cote D’Ivoire is serious about tourism and is ready to welcome Nigerian tourist visitors. He said it was in a bid to boost travel and tourism between Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire that there is currently a direct flight from Nigeria to Cote d’Ivoire.

Ghana’s ambassador to Nigeria Rashid Bawa, in his speech, said Ghana was looking at the post-COVID 19 era as it prepares to welcome tourists back to the country. Bawa, who was represented by the Samuel Mahadodo, Minister Counselor at the High Commission, said: “We are extremely happy to participate in this event which is aimed to use food and drinks from different countries, notably Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire to act as a platform in understanding and appreciating each other’s culture. As we can all see on display, we have delicious cuisines from my beautiful country Ghana. We have the video playing on the investment opportunities in Ghana, and the tourist attractions. Ghana jollof rice, wache and kenke. I also want to thank the organizers for bringing these countries together to interact and appreciate each other’s culture. Ghana has always been the land of culture and as you know, the people are very exploratory. So find Ghanaian in every part of the world. as part of our exploratory nature you find Ghanaian dishes, food, culture in every part of the world just as we see in Nigeria here. There is incredible diversity of Ghanaian cuisines, cooking styles and the age-old traditional recipe are perhaps among the biggest tourist attraction in both internationally and domestically. Ghana, Nigeria and other West African countries have similar cuisines and traditional foods and drinks. Although our taste buds might be different, the culture of serving authentic cuisines as part of our guests remains the same.

Generally, food involves us in a web of social and ecological relationship. Obviously food involves plants, animals, the soil, the farms, the farmers, our history and culture, of course the people, above all, is all connected.

“We also have a programme called Beyond the Return. That is a programme after the year of the return. All these are people that have come to Ghana and want to settle in Ghana. They are given permanent stay if they want to remain in the country. Accommodation is made easier for them to have. Every business that they want to do, we have a section in the Ministry of Trade where they are given guideline on how to go about it. We have the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC). That is for people who interested settling in Ghana  to do business.

“Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire the tradition and cuisines is very similar. I went to the Cote d’Ivoire stand and saw soup similar to ours. I saw the ginger drink that we also do the same. The two countries are very integrated. I would wish them to invite other African countries to see a bit of diversity. On the whole, it has been a very good event. ”

The managing director of CMD Tour, organisers of the event, Cecile Doumbe, said the aim of the food tour was to continue to create a forum within the diplomatic circle where countries within and outside Africa can come to enjoy a good evening together, get acquainted with each other’s  food culture and generally open up opportunity for business discussions and greater cooperation and collaboration.