GTCO Food & Drink Festival: Masterpiece Supporting Foodpreneurs, Bridging Unemployment Gap
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
The 2025 edition of the GTCO food and drink festival has been such a wonderful experience for Culture, Cuisine, and Enterprise. Held from Friday, May 2nd to Sunday, May 4th, 2025, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, the event featured 204 free retail stalls showcasing the rich diversity and creativity of Nigerian food culture, from traditional dishes to regional delicacies and contemporary fusion cuisines, savory bites, refreshing beverages, and gourmet desserts, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
At the event, internationally renowned chefs and respected culinary experts hosted masterclasses in which they shared practical insights, recipes, and techniques spanning a wide range of cuisines and disciplines. In addition to the food exhibition and masterclasses, visitors enjoyed an expansive street food arena, offering a vibrant selection of popular local delicacies, and a dedicated children’s play area, ensuring a fun, safe, and memorable experience for the entire family.
The festival which is an attestation of GTCO’s vision of Promoting Enterprise engaged hundreds of small business owners, especially indigenous foodpreneurs, bringing their art in front of the whole world at no cost to them.
This has an immeasurable impact on unemployment in the country which is alarming according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Averagely, each business owner will engage at least one other person which positively affects the economic fortunes of the individuals, families, and country at large.
Some exhibitors and business owners who attended the event expressed their thoughts.
Uzo Ume Taco, Founder of El Padrino foods said that GTCO food and drink festival is a great support. ‘Even if you’re not selling, just the fact that you are here, there are cameras everywhere, people are taking pictures, there’s networking, people want to know your brand, people follow you on social media. And it’s just engaging. I’m seeing other things, I’m learning things. It does promote enterprise. It really does. I think it’s great. I mean, every time you do GTCO food and drinks, you see the positive ripple effect immediately and thereafter on your business.’
‘GTCO creates so much value for everybody. I mean, at no cost. For the customers, for the people vending, everything is so amazing. I am very grateful to be here. Every time there’s GTCO food and drinks, even when we’re not exhibiting, I make sure to come because it’s a great experience.’
At El Padrino, Uzo makes Mexican food with only Nigerian ingredients making her the first and the only in the world to do that.
Another exhibitor, Mo Omole, co-founder of Dipper Dips, an artisanal company which does popsicles, cocktails, pods, and slushies. We use fresh fruits to elevate the cocktail experience for people. A lot of people do popsicles but they don’t do it like us.’
‘At every event, we make our popsicles fresh because it is fresh fruit. Everything is fresh, vibrant, and clean. We also have takeaway popsicles that come in a nice packet, very cute and classy which can also be ordered for delivery. We always sell out. The price range is from 3K to 5K.’
‘The GTCO Food and Drink event’s been lovely for us. It is a platform for people to see our creativity come to life. We’re given the opportunity to express our passion. We are given the opportunity to show what we’re able to do on a large scale, with amazing and large clientele. It’s been absolutely amazing. We’re very graceful at Dipper Dips to GTCO.’
Speaking of the significance of the festival, Mr. Segun Agbaje, Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, said: “The GTCO Food and Drink Festival is a celebration of our rich cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit. Every meal shared is a reminder of our traditions and the universal language of food that connects us all. Beyond the festivities, the festival reflects our commitment to supporting local enterprise—creating a free business platform where food retailers can connect with consumers, share their unique offerings, and take meaningful steps toward growth and long-term sustainability.”
About GTCO
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) is a leading financial services group with operations across Africa and the United Kingdom.
Renowned for its strong corporate governance, innovative financial solutions, and customer-centric approach, GTCO Plc provides a wide range of banking and non-banking services, including payments, funds management, and pension fund administration.
The Group is committed to delivering long-term value to stakeholders while driving growth and development across its markets.
