The Federal Government has launched a mobile culinary training kitchen for cooks across the country.
The Minister of Tourism, Lola Ade-John, launched the National Institute of Hospitality and Tourism mobile training kitchen truck yesterday.
Ade-John noted that the project underscores “Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and highlights the government’s unwavering commitment to fostering growth, empowerment, and culinary excellence within our great nation.”
The minister said the mobile training kitchen signified the commencement of a series of transformative initiatives within the hospitality sector.
She noted, “Today’s unveiling of the Mobile Training Kitchen marks a pivotal moment in our journey to further elevate our culinary skills, promote tourism, and empower our citizens worldwide, establishing Nigeria as a recognised centre of excellence.
“The Mobile Training Kitchen transcends its role as a mere vehicle; it stands as a symbol of inspiration and opportunity for communities across the nation. This mobile unit will be one of many to traverse urban and rural areas, delivering hands-on culinary training to aspiring local cooks, food enthusiasts, and entrepreneurs.”
Ade-John added that the initiative “aligned with our vision to leverage the potential of our rich culinary heritage, cultivating skilled professionals who can significantly contribute to the growth of the tourism sector.
“Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, the mobile kitchen ensures that our trainees receive top-notch education and practical experience.”
The Director General, of NIHOTOUR, Nura Kangiwa, stated that one of the prerequisites for the tourism and hospitality industry to develop and play the desired role in the socio-economic life of a nation is the availability of well-trained personnel.
“Indeed, no amount of investments in either infrastructure or in expanding tourism capacity in Nigeria will ever be successful unless the necessary manpower in the required numbers and at the required levels of knowledge and skills are provided to manage the sector,” Kangiwa said.
Explaining the initiative behind the acquisition of the mobile training kitchen truck, the DG explained, “Our commitment to the growth of the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Nigeria and by extension, improvement in the quality of service delivery by personnel that run the sector underlines the acquisition of the mobile truck.
“As of today, NIHOTOUR is strategically located in 10 campuses across the six geopolitical zones of the country. Many of these campuses are in the metropolis so there is a need to reach people in the hinterland.
“We believe that the Mobile Training Kitchen Truck will not only contribute significantly to achieving our goal of taking training closer to the stakeholders, but also enhance our market presence, and expand our reach within the industry.”
Kangiwa, however, lamented that youth unemployment remains a socio-economic concern, adding that entrepreneurship skills in tourism would go a long way to curb unemployment.
He said, “There are a lot of entrepreneurial skills people can acquire in the subsectors of tourism and hospitality such as tour guiding, tour operation, travel agency operation, event management, hospitality management, pastry and cookery practice, etc.
“In a world of unemployment, these skills will translate into gainful employment, employer of labour, self-reliance, wealth creation for our youths and above all, end the restlessness which is usually associated with poverty.”
NIHOTOUR, the apex Institute, is saddled with the responsibility of training and developing human capacity in the Hospitality and Tourism industry.
The NIHOTOUR Mobile Training Kitchen is designed to be 95 per cent eco-friendly, as all equipment and power generators on board the truck run on LPG. Only the Vehicle engine runs on Diesel. Equipment in the motorised kitchen includes professional catering 5 burner gas cooker, ‘ double door tower fridge with ice maker and crusher, ‘ display fridge and freezer for ice cream, and gas-powered double deep fryer.
Other kitchen equipment in the truck is a griddle with dual surface heating with gas, ‘ heavy duty microwave, 500 litres water tank with a dedicated pressure pump for the kitchen sink, a gas-powered 16-dish food warmer, a kitchen blender centre, a 10kva generator, high power electric inverter air conditioner, ‘ carbon dioxide and other deadly gas emission detector, multi-cylinder fire extinguisher for safety on board and a built-in ‘ water tank.