KEY POINTS
• The maiden International Akara Day Festival was held in Abuja to promote Nigerian food culture and grassroots entrepreneurship.
• Organisers said the initiative would use akara and other indigenous foods to create economic opportunities, particularly for women and young entrepreneurs.
• The festival is planned as an annual event with ambitions to expand into an international celebration.
MAIN STORY
The organisers of the International Akara Day Festival have unveiled an initiative aimed at promoting Nigeria’s indigenous food culture while creating greater economic opportunities for women and grassroots entrepreneurs.
The maiden edition of the festival was held on Monday in Abuja, bringing together akara vendors, other local food sellers and consumers of indigenous cuisines.
The event featured cooking showcases, marketplace activities and programmes focused on women and youth entrepreneurship.
Mr Abiodun Macaulay, Co convener of the festival, said the initiative was created to give greater visibility to akara sellers and other petty traders whose businesses contribute to local economies but often receive limited recognition and support.
“These people you’re seeing over there, they’re doing good selling akara, but people don’t know. That is why we’re trying to showcase and empower them, and to appreciate the value of akara,” he said.
Macaulay said the initiative would extend beyond akara to include other vendors of indigenous delicacies, with the broader aim of supporting small scale businesses at the grassroots.
He said International Akara Day would be marked annually on Sept. 21, adding that the organisers hoped to eventually establish the celebration in different parts of the world through franchises.
Another Co convener, Patrick Onazi, said the festival was conceived partly in response to the growing popularity of foreign foods and the need to give Nigerian culinary traditions greater visibility.
“We need to celebrate our own culture, our own culinary. That is why we created this opportunity to come together to launch the international akara day festival today,” he said.
Onazi said akara could provide a viable source of income for people seeking to support themselves and their families while pursuing other economic opportunities.
He added that future editions would accommodate other indigenous culinary products and reflect Nigeria’s diversity in language, culture and religion.
A participant, Mrs Mary Good, said the festival could encourage more women to explore small scale businesses while helping younger Nigerians reconnect with traditional foods.
Good noted that akara had long been part of Nigerian households and said promoting indigenous foods could contribute to preserving cultural heritage among younger generations.
Mrs Mallam Habila, an akara vendor, said the festival had given the food greater recognition at a time when some young Nigerians showed less interest in traditional delicacies and preferred modern fast food.
THE ISSUES
- The festival places a familiar local food at the centre of a wider conversation about grassroots enterprise. Akara sellers and other petty traders often operate small businesses that provide income for households, making support and visibility relevant to local economic activity.
- Promoting indigenous foods also has a cultural dimension. Organisers and participants see greater visibility for local delicacies as a way to maintain connections with Nigerian culinary traditions, particularly among younger people.
- The initiative is designed to extend beyond akara vendors. By including other local food businesses, the organisers hope to create a broader platform for small scale entrepreneurs and indigenous food products.
- The organisers’ plan to hold the festival annually and establish franchises abroad would give the initiative a wider platform for promoting Nigerian food and cultural products.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“These people you’re seeing over there, they’re doing good selling akara, but people don’t know. That is why we’re trying to showcase and empower them, and to appreciate the value of akara.” – Abiodun Macaulay
“We need to celebrate our own culture, our own culinary. That is why we created this opportunity to come together to launch the international akara day festival today.” – Patrick Onazi
WHAT’S NEXT
The organisers plan to hold International Akara Day annually on Sept. 21 and expand the initiative to other parts of the world through franchises.
BOTTOM LINE
The International Akara Day Festival combines the promotion of Nigerian culinary heritage with support for grassroots food businesses. Organisers hope to turn the annual celebration into a wider platform for indigenous food products and entrepreneurship.
