The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), in collaboration with the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, staged the 2026 Nigeria–China Food Festival on August 27 at the China Cultural Centre, Abuja, bringing together chefs, hospitality professionals, diplomats, entrepreneurs and cultural practitioners to celebrate cuisine, culture and five-and-a-half decades of diplomatic ties.
Themed “From Farm to Feast,” the festival showcased the food traditions and culinary techniques that link producers to plates. Guests sampled 14 Chinese dishes representing seven regions and 12 Nigerian dishes from the country’s six geopolitical zones, highlighting the breadth of ingredients, preparation methods and local specialities on both sides.
According to a statement on Saturday, for NIHOTOUR, the event doubled as a tourism and skills-promotion platform. Director-General/CEO Aare Abisoye Fagade said the Institute remains focused on developing hospitality skills and creating opportunities for young people, professionals and entrepreneurs across the food and tourism value chain from farmers and processors to chefs and hospitality businesses.
Speakers underlined the role of food in people-to-people diplomacy. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Chinese Embassy, Mr. Zhou Hongyou, noted that culinary exchange helps deepen cultural understanding, while Mr. Yang Jianxing, Cultural Counsellor and Director of the China Cultural Centre in Nigeria, reaffirmed the importance of cultural cooperation in strengthening bilateral relations.
The festival attracted more than 200 participants and combined food presentations with cultural activities to encourage interaction and future collaboration in hospitality, culinary training, enterprise development and tourism.
Held as part of events marking 55 years of Nigeria–China relations, the gathering reinforced how cultural exchanges can deepen ties beyond government channels and raise the international profile of Nigeria’s diverse food heritage. Africans& Diaspora
