Nigerian chef Gbolabo Adebakin, known as Chef Gibbs, has urged deliberate global rebranding of Nigerian cuisine to challenge misconceptions and present local dishes as nutritious, diverse, and competitive.
Adebakin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during an interview on Thursday in Lagos that stronger culinary education and cultural storytelling was needed to project Nigerian dishes to the world.
He described food as a powerful cultural export and a critical tool for tourism development, noting its universal role in human interaction.
“Food is the oldest form of tourism. From the beginning of time, food has been served with every single moment, every party, every meeting, every celebration,” he said.
The chef, however said Nigerian cuisine, though gaining international attention, remained widely misunderstood due to poor representation and lack of proper guidance on how it should be prepared and consumed.
Adebakin, convener of the Nigeria Food Summit, said that beyond showcasing meals, the rebranding initiative should focus on correcting widespread misconceptions about Nigerian cuisine, often described as too fatty, heavy, or dense.
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According to him, the process of rebranding also involves teaching proper ways to eat and pair local dishes, a gap increasingly evident in viral social media trends.
“If you go on social media today, you see a lot of TikTok trends, and some of those challenges are actually not properly done because a lot of people do not know about Nigerian food.
“So, it’s our responsibility as culinary practitioners to educate people on how exactly to eat the food, how to pair the food, how to serve the food,” he said.
He noted that initiatives, already gaining traction through inbound tours and social media, were aimed at rebranding efforts.
“We’re letting people know that our food is very communal, very nutritious, very rich,” he said.
Citing an ongoing initiative by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Idris Aregbe, in which he has participated for about six years, he noted that giving tourists immersive experiences had been highly impactful.
Adebakin added that immersive experiences—such as allowing foreign guests to participate in traditional cooking techniques like pounding yam—helped to deepen their appreciation for the culture and effort behind Nigerian meals.
He said such moments highlighted the skill and intentionality involved in local food preparation.
He added that the activity had consistently drawn positive reactions from international participants, many of whom expressed surprise at the diversity and presentation of Nigerian dishes.
Recounting a previous engagement, he said: “They told us that they never knew that Nigerian food could be done this way or could taste this way or that they could experience Nigerian food this way.”
Adebakin said such feedback underscored the growing role of culinary diplomacy in shaping Nigeria’s global image.
He urged stakeholders to continue to leverage food as both a cultural bridge and an economic asset.
(NAN)
