Culture and Tourism

KCCN deepen Efforts To Impact More Nigerians Through Cooking

Published

3 years ago

September 22, 2023

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

Empowerment and training of human beings, no doubt, remain the backbone of any development in the world.

**Selected members of the Association of Professional Chefs in Nigeria (APCN at the KCCN, Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria during the Chuseok cooking class, On Tuesday in Abuja.**

This is the story of the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria, KCCN, which over the years, increased efforts to ensure that many Nigerians are empowered through different endeavours in life.
The Centre has given thousands of Nigerians leverage in arts, culture, entertainment, language education, creativity, and sports, and recently added another sector, which is cooking class.

AljazirahNigeria reports that KCCN was established in 2010 in Nigeria’s Capital Territory, Abuja, to enhance friendship, bilateral relations, and understanding between Korea and Nigeria through cultural and educational programs, and today, the Centre is making thoughtful progress.

On Tuesday in the FCT, another batch of selected members of the Association of Professional Chefs in Nigeria, APCN, were on the ground to learn more about Korean cuisine, and how to prepare two of the country’s most popular dishes.

Indeed, it was another great experience for Nigerian chefs who chose cooking as their career, as they had more knowledge about continental dishes – the Korean food that is believed will go a long way to promote and advance them in the inter-continental dishes know-how.
Two of the first dishes they cooked were Spicy Braised Chicken and Com Cheese.

In his remarks, shortly after the demonstration of the Chuseok cooking class, the representative of the Director of KCCN, Manager of Cultural Content, Bae Sung Jin, said the essence of the cooking class is to sensitize many Nigerian people about Korean food and to give opportunity to some who want to choose Korean food.

“We are doing a lot of classes in Nigeria, not only cooking classes, but we also have K-POP Dance, Taekwondo, and language classes, among others.

“There is no Korean restaurant in Abuja, and Abuja is technically the capital of Africa, people want to try Korean food. That is what gave birth to this cooking class, to introduce our foods to the Nigerian people as well as empower them.

“We are trying to reach out to many Nigerians, which is why we choose members of the Association of Professional Chefs in Nigeria, and without a doubt, I do believe it will have an impact on their lives,” he said.

A staff of KCCN, Sharon Pwavi-Babale, said that it is the continuation of the effort of the Centre to expose Nigerians to Korean foods.

“The reason, if noticed, Asian food which is popular in Nigeria is Chinese food and KCCN saw it as an opportunity, being the fact that a large number of people watch Korean movies, many Nigerians see Korean food through movies and desire to eat it.

“So, we ensure the cooking class is put in place as a means of introducing Nigerians to Korean dishes’ method of cooking and its richness,” she said.

However, Chuseok translates to autumn eve and is, at its core, a harvest moon festival nodding back to Korea’s traditional agrarian roots where traditional foods make their way onto every family’s table, and the infamous bumper-to-bumper traffic that plagues the country’s major roads in the lead-up to the long holiday, as people make the pilgrimage back to their hometowns to honour familiar ancestors.

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Creative Industry

NTDA, LEXLUC Sign MoU to Unlock Nigeria’s Domestic Tourism Potential

Published

2 days ago

October 23, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with LEXLUC Global Services and Tours Ltd. to promote domestic tourism, cultural heritage and destination awareness across Nigeria.

The agreement establishes a framework for implementing and expanding the Meet My Town, Know My State tourism initiative, which aims to encourage Nigerians to explore destinations within the country, learn about their cultural heritage and support greater community participation in tourism.

Speaking at the signing, Chief Executive Officer of LEXLUC Global Services and Tours Ltd., Mr Oluwole Ajayi, said the initiative was developed to help Nigeria harness its tourism potential, attract investment and create more opportunities within the sector.

“Tourism is number one employer worldwide. Whether we like it or not, we have to key into it and make sure it becomes the number one employer in Nigeria, too,” Ajayi said.

He also referenced plans for a proposed West African Jollof Rice Championship and Tourism Festival, which he said could complement the initiative’s broader objectives. The proposed event is expected to form part of future tourism activities, subject to the necessary planning and approvals.

Ajayi expressed confidence that the collaboration with NTDA would help advance the initiative and attract investors to Nigeria’s tourism industry.

Director-General of NTDA, Mr Ola Awakan, said the partnership alignes with the authority’s mandate to promote and develop tourism, noting that collaboration with the private sector was important to the sector’s growth.

“It’s a laudable project. We are going to give you national and institutional backing. You are also helping us achieve our mandate, and we are helping you to bring your idea to fruition. So, it is a win-win situation. All of this is in the interest of Nigeria,” Awakan said.

He commended Ajayi for sustaining the initiative and reaffirmed NTDA’s commitment to supporting its objectives within the authority’s mandate.

The Meet My Town, Know My State initiative is designed to raise awareness of Nigeria’s destinations, promote cultural heritage and encourage domestic travel. Its activities may include organised tours, tourism education, awareness campaigns, events and stakeholder engagements across the country.

Under the MoU, LEXLUC will coordinate and implement approved activities, develop tourism packages, mobilise sponsorship and partnerships, and report on progress. NTDA will provide relevant tourism information, institutional coordination, policy guidance and support for stakeholder engagement, subject to its mandate and applicable approval processes.

The signing was coordinated by Head of Legal Services at NTDA, Olufunke Soleye, and Head of Legal at LEXLUC, Mary Oluwatoyin Noibi-Edoze. Director of the Marketing and Promotions Department at NTDA, Mr Olufemi Akinyele, was also present alongside staff members of the department.

The agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the two organisations to expand awareness of Nigeria’s tourism offerings and encourage greater participation in domestic tourism.

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