About 50 people emerged from the Eko Flavours selection process to participate in the 2024 contest, designed to be a culinary platform for food vendors and chefs to showcase their talent and interact with food enthusiasts.

Fielding questions from journalists after the selection process held at the Lagos State government secretariat, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms Abiola Olusanya, said the Eko Flavours project is a transformative platform to showcase the state as the melting point of Nigeria and the culinary prowess of youths and local market vendors.

Olusanya explained that the Eko Flavours project, which is in partnership with the private sector, was introduced to drive efforts to transform food markets in Lagos State as part of the initiatives by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration to improve the state’s food system.

She said, “Part of the requirement for this contest was for the contestants or would-be contestants or those interested in the competition to submit a video stating why they would love to participate. We received well over 150 entries, videos, and submissions, but looking through the criteria in line with the instructions, it dwindled to 70 entries.

All of us in the Ministry of Agriculture and our collaborators and sponsors have gathered here today to select the top 50. There must be 50 contestants to move to the next stage of the contest, and then it will be down to the quarter-final, semi-final, and grand finale.

She said it is a free and fair selection process, saying public voting will make subsequent selections.

Also speaking with journalists, the co-chief executive officer of Tantacom Group, Mrs Jenifer Odufuwa, said the purpose of bringing together the stakeholders together for the selection exercise was to ensure that the process of selection is fair and transparent, saying the contestants have lived up to expectation.

The organisers said the winner of the Lagos Flavours will be crowned Eko Flavours Champion Ambassador for one year and also go home with a N5 million cash reward, an award plaque, a one-year supply of free products, a N200,000 shopping voucher to shop at the Mushin Fresh Food Hub, a certificate of achievement, and a winner trophy, while the first runner-up will win a N3 million cash prize, a six-month supply of products, a N100,000 shopping voucher, a certificate of achievement, and an award plaque.

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