Events

Guinness World Recorder, Hilda Bassey, Graces Gastronomy Festival

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2024

Guinness World Recorder, Hilda Bassey, Graces Gastronomy Festival

The National Institute For Tourism and Hospitality, NIHOTOUR, organisers of Gastronomy Festival ( Food festival) has announced that Nigeria’s Hilda Effiong Bassey, the current world record holder for the ‘Longest Cooking Marathon’ will be participating in the food festival on Saturday, the 17th of June 2023, at the Abuja International Conference Centre.

This year’s Gastronomy Festival is the third consecutive food and beverage exhibition and sampling event, initiated and annually organized by NIHOTOUR, since 2021.

The Gastronomy Festival is one of the largest of its kind in Africa – with public exhibition and free tasting of hundreds of culinary masterpieces from Nigeria’s 300 ethnic groups and the international communality including cuisines from China, Spain, Senegal, Trinidad & Tobago, and Cote D’Ivoire.

Gastronomy Festival is organized by National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), a parastatal of the Federal Government established by an Act of Parliament to train, certify and register personnel in Nigeria’s hospitality, travel, and tourism sector.

Speaking on the invitation of Hilda Bassey to the Gastronomy Festival in Abuja, the Director General of NIHOTOUR, Nura Sani Kangiwa, said that “by law, NIHOTOUR, as Nigeria’s lead hospitality and tourism occupational skills development Institute is required to mitigate the skills-gap challenges of personnel in the industry and to equally drum-up support for practitioners that are, despite the odds, achieving measurable success the tradecraft and Hilda Bassey is one of such rare cases of gastronomic success Nigeria has attained.”

He explained that “Besides the new world record of cooking achieved by Hilda, as adjudged by the committee of the Guinness World Records, NIHOTOUR, recognize that her success has become a beacon that is now encouraging more Nigerian youths to take up careers in the hospitality and catering sub-sectors.

He explained that the organisation’s primary mandate is to enable people to acquire requisite skills to become self-employed, by adding value to the hospitality and tourism industry, and Hilda Bassey exemplifies that.

NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is conceptualized and programmed to upskill Nigerian gastronomes and culinary artists on the technicalities, and emerging global best practices, of processing, preparing, presenting, packaging and promotion of foods, especially Nigerian traditional cuisines. The theme for the 2023 NIHOTOUR Gastronomy Festival is “Culinary Arts: The Gateway to Growing Tourism Destinations”.

The Embassy of Spain to Nigeria has brought in chef Alex Marugan, a celebrated Spanish chef to train and share best practices and emerging global trends of culinary arts with some select culinary schools in Nigeria. The trainings will hold on 15th and 16th of June in Abuja.

More so, Chef Alex will prepare and display the best of Spanish cuisines at the Gastronomy Festival on Saturday for visitors to the event to engage him and taste his meals.

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Culture

Crowds Gather for Rare Sunrise at Egypt’s Abu Simbel Temple

Published

4 days ago

October 23, 2026

David Ogunjobi

Hundreds of tourists gathered at Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple to witness the twice-yearly sunrise ceremony illuminating Pharaoh Ramses II’s statue

Hundreds of tourists gathered at Egypt’s Abu Simbel temple on Thursday to witness a spectacular sunrise phenomenon in which sunlight illuminated the face of the statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, an event that occurs only twice a year.

Also read: 16 Famous Cultural Festivals That Define India

The ancient astronomical ceremony drew visitors from different parts of the world to the archaeological site in southern Egypt on October 22, one of two dates associated with the phenomenon.

The second occurrence takes place on February 22, when the rising sun illuminates the temple’s interior.

Egyptian tour guide Yasser Fouad described the occasion as extraordinary, saying some visitors had stayed overnight to secure the opportunity to witness the event.

“Today is an extraordinary day, everyone is keen, there are people who stayed over the night, foreigners who actually spent the night in Abu Simbel to see this phenomenon,” Fouad said.

The Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel dates back to the 13th century BC and is among Egypt’s most prominent archaeological attractions.

Built during the reign of Ramses II, one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs, the temple is renowned for its monumental statues and sophisticated architectural design.

The twice-yearly sunrise phenomenon is a major attraction, drawing visitors eager to witness the interaction between sunlight and the temple’s ancient structure.

The dates have traditionally been associated with significant moments in Ramses II’s life.

October 22 is commonly linked to his birthday, while February 22 is associated with his accession to the throne.

However, the precise historical reasons behind the dates remain debated.

Some archaeologists have proposed alternative explanations, including that they may have marked the pharaoh’s coronation and birthday.

Abu Simbel underwent a major international rescue operation in the 1960s, when archaeologists and engineers relocated the temples to protect them from flooding caused by the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

The monumental structures were cut into large blocks and reassembled at a higher location, preserving the site for future generations.

The relocation was one of the most significant archaeological preservation projects of the 20th century.

Despite the move, the temple continues to attract visitors for its ancient Egyptian art, monumental architecture and remarkable alignment with the rising sun.

Also read: 16 Famous Cultural Festivals That Define India

The annual gatherings highlight the enduring appeal of Egypt’s archaeological heritage and the continuing fascination with the astronomical knowledge and engineering achievements of its ancient civilisation.