After months of working on the project, businessman, Kehinde Talabi has unveiled his brainchild, Lagos City Suya Carnival.
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The first edition of the edible-oriented carnival is scheduled to break the world record of the longest suya/steak with the production of a single 50ft suya.
This feat is to be achieved in conjunction with the Guinness Book of World Record in Lagos, Nigeria.
The event is jointly organised by the CEO of Suya Stops, Talabi, and Lagos State Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture.
The carnival, which is billed to wrap up the long month celebration of Lagos, Nigeria’s foremost state at 50, is billed to hold on October 1, 2017.
Speaking to media men at the press unveil of the highly-anticipated event, Mr Kehinde Talabi said The Lagos City Suya Carnival is poised to be an annual event.
“Which better way could we have launched such a carnival with such magnitude? Where could we have launched this and when could we have launched the Lagos City Suya Carnival are the questions that ravaged our mind when this idea came to me.
“No where better than Lagos and which better way to launch it than the commemoration of the Lagos at 50 celebration with the event rounding it off? Making a 50ft long Suya steak and breaking a record hence putting Lagos State on the world map.
“We have been working tirelessly behind the curtains in the past few months since we berthed this idea and with the full support of the Lagos State Government and amiable governor, Akinwunmi Ambode through the Ministry of Arts and Culture, we are sure Lagosians and people in Lagos are in for a good ride.
“Again, we thought about our culinary expertise as Nigerians and found out that one delicacy that could be served as a full meal or side effects for the main meal or even as a snack is Suya. Though Suya doesnt have its origin in Lagos but it would be agreed that Lagosians in particular have an undying penchant for Suya.
“Interestingly, I run a Suya spot in Lagos and I can tell for a fact that that is one viable business with so much intrigues and much more to showcase and imbibe in our tourism export,” Talabi said.
On her part, Miss Abimbola Otubu, the Coordinator of the event said there are plans to have the carnival replicate in the other climes with Lagos as a major partner and first hosting state.
Otubu also used the opportunity to call on top organisations to support the carnival as it aims to promote the Nigerian culture as well as one of its delicacy that remains outstanding and internationally accepted.
“Lagos City Suya Carnival is one brand that will definitely outlive all of us that started this. I’m happy that the governor of Lagos state has endorsed this and if we are starting this when Lagos is 50 by placing it on the world map of breaking Guinness book of world record, I can only imagine how big the event would have grown when Lagos will be 100years old.
“I can tell you for a fact that this is one carnival top corporate organisations need to throw their weight behind. This is one carnival that will be talked about in a long time to come and with the arrangements being made as well as immense support thrown at us by the Lagos State Ministry of Arts and Culture, you can be sure the moon will be our starting point,” Otubu also said.
In attendance at the media cum press unveil are representatives of the governor as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Arts and Culture amongst other stakeholders in the planning of the Lagos at 50 celebrations.
