A culinary celebration of flavours, texture and arts at the Naija Corn Festival held, at the weekend, in Ikeja, Lagos, illuminated the importance of indigenous foods and the tourism potential of corn for Nigerian economy.

A tourism development firm, Tourvant, with the aim of creating sustainable forms of tourism and promoting agri-tourism for Nigeria and Africa, introduced the corn evolutionary event named, “Naija Corn Festival,” to attract visitors from all over the world.

According to the Tourism Consultant and Project Lead of Tourvant, Oluwabunmi Akinyemi, the Naija Corn Festival is an opportunity to showcase Nigeria’s indigenous food, a staple in most African homes, as well as put a spotlight on the tourism industry and grows the agro sector by identifying a value-chain for corn.

Akinyemi, who lamented inadequate infrastructure to promote tourism, said: “We need to preserve our indigenous culture through our planting, harvesting and storage processes. Let’s have small farms in our backyards. You can live in Lagos and also call the people in the village.”

Our local foods have little or no preservatives and they are good for our body. “Corn is ever constant. There is never scarcity of corn.”  The travel journalist, who just arrived from his tour in Benin Republic, said that Nigerians should emulate the people of the French-colonised country in their culture of not embracing so many foreign things. 

“They have found 101 ways to make use of corn and cassava in their various meals. UNESCO and the World Bank are already paying attention to them. Are they not West Africans like us? They use different varieties of corn to do so many things and are not ashamed of their heritage. Corn can make Nigeria an important country for tourism,” Akinyemi added.

Also, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Heirs and Heralds Agro Allied Limited, Olaoluwa Bamigboye, said that the preservation and promotion of our indigenous foods, especially corn, could propel the country into economic prosperity. He, therefore, encouraged backyard growing of crops and urged Nigerians to shun artificial foods from the West.

“We must eat. We can’t download rice and beans. We are overlooking the importance of farming. We are not investing in what will attract people to the farm. I am a farmer and I have never for once regretted farming.”