The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN), Chief Samuel Alabi has applauded the observance of the annual World Sustainable Gastronomy Day by the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) in the country as a sure way of promoting Nigerian array of exquisite cuisines for export to the global community.

Chief Alabi who stated this in an interview he granted Africa Travel Herald was a Special Guest and recipient of NIHOTOUR’s Fellowship Award at the just concluded 2022 World Sustainable Gastronomy Day hosted by the Institute in Abuja, noted that the event was unprecedented in the history of the industry, and in particular, the hospitality sector.

He said the food exhibition, coupled with the skill acquisition programs embarked upon by NIHOTOUR across the country, is empowering the youths to export not only the skills they acquire but the Nigerian cuisines in the form of establishing Nigerian Kitchen abroad.

The FTAN BOT Chairman said he was amazed at the varieties of Nigerian dishes displayed at the exhibition booths of the six geo-political zones of the country packaged by NIHOTOUR, including the South West Zone where he came from, in his words; ‘I don’t know that we have varieties of food…even from the South West that am from, I found out that there are cuisines that I have never seen before, I tasted them and they were wonderful’ He concluded that the gastronomy day exercise was a worthwhile venture that government must support and promote it annually.

Speaking further to the Africa Travel Herald, he commended the foresight of the Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa, who, since inception as Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, came up with brilliant ideas and innovations that are putting the sector in remarkable limelight, adding that this is what you get when you put professionals in the right leadership position to head, because Kangiwa is a professional and active key player in the industry, saying ‘this is putting a round peg in a round hole’

He said the remarkable successes and achievements of Nura Kangiwa as Director-General of NIHOTOUR within the short period of his assumption have proved and made a case for the appointment of industry practitioners into key positions in the public sector, including the tourism and hospitality industry.

Chief Alabi, said he was impressed with lots of things at the gastronomy day event, ‘The attendance of foreign embassies was very amazing; The creative and ingenuity of the Mobile Kitchen was another awesome sight to behold; and above of all, the manner and way the Director-General conducted himself, moving about his staff and guests to ensure prompt and orderliness with a degree of humility, noting that other CEOs would have sat bossily and watch things unfold just anyhow. ‘I must say am impressive and give kudos to NIHOTOUR to have made this happen.