Interschool Cooking Competition: FCT Students Urged to Embrace Culinary Skills
Hudu Yakubu, Abuja.
Students in secondary schools across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been asked to adopt culinary skills as part of vocational skills that can help them become self-reliant in the future.
Founder of the Dine and Pack Culinary Training Centre, popularly known as Chef Mimi, gave the advice at the 2023 Annual Interschool Cooking Competition, which took place in collaboration with the Ministry of Education over the weekend.
Chef Mimi noted that learning a skill had become necessary, given the harsh economic reality in the country, where white collar jobs are no longer readily available.
She warned parents and guardians of the dangers of failing to equip their children with skills as, according to her, the 21st century requires young people with vocational skills, and not just paper qualifications.
“The essence of the competition is to introduce students in the various schools in the FCT to vocational skills through cooking.
“My passion for cooking triggered this. I’m passionate about teaching children how to cook. We have the mini-chef competition where children from five years cook on stages like this.
“For me, it’s about creating awareness that you have to be equipped with a skill, no matter what it is.
“It can be cooking, tailoring or hair dressing – we just have to be equipped with a skill in our hands because the world is shifting from the regular nine to five to what you can really do with your hands.
“For me, I believe what you can do with your hands – no one can take that away from you,” she stated.
Also at the event, the Founder of Helpline Foundation for the Needy, Abuja, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, applauded the organizers for the initiative, which brings young minds together to enhance their culinary skills.
Dr. Ahmadu, who was represented by the the Foundation’s Programme Officer, Damaris Yakubu, said competitions like this are capable of redirecting and refocusing young minds.
“I will advise these young children to see this beyond being a competition, but rather an opportunity to showcase their skills and do much more wherever they find themselves,” she advised.
The organizers of the competition said they have created more awareness among young Nigerians, with more students signing up for home economics, as a subject, in their various schools.
Four schools, including Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Girls’ Secondary School, Dutse; Government Secondary School, Kubwa; and Command Day Secondary School participated in the 2023 edition of the competition, with students displaying their culinary skills at various stages of the competition.
The winning school went home with three hundred thousand naira (N300,000) cash price and school shoes for the students, while the runner up went with two hundred thousand naira (N200,000).
