By: Yunus S. Saliu
Honourable Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Monday received and congratulated the triumphant members of the Gambia Chef Association following their brilliant performance at the West Africa Food Festival (WAFFEST) 2025.
The festival was held in Accra, Ghana, between September 22nd and 27th, 2025, where the Gambian team, which featured the reigning Jollof Queen and King, competed against chefs from over twenty countries. The high-profile cooking competition was the highlight of the annual, unique festival of flavours and culture.
The Gambia Chef Association emerged with a resounding victory, securing four medals and, most significantly, winning the prestigious right to host WAFFEST 2026 in The Gambia.
The team made its mark in four out of seven categories – West African Countries Heritage Jollof (The Jollof Rice War) – Gold Medal (beating Nigeria and Ghana), Meatless Monday Vegan Dish – Gold Medal, Bread Bake – Silver Medal, ACA/WAFFEST Chef of The Year (Individual) – Bronze Medal.
The victory in the Jollof Rice War was lovely, as the category always stirs friendly regional rivalries. The Gambia successfully defended the title it first claimed in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2023, once again reclaiming bragging rights over the continent’s Jollof powerhouses.
Minister Jobe congratulated the team, saying, “You have made the country proud and contributed to showcasing, creating awareness of this destination, and exposing what we have to offer.”
He commended the association for its preliminary meeting with the Ministry and various tourism stakeholders before the competition. The Minister then urged them to begin communication and visibility efforts early, highlighting that the hosting of the West Africa Food Festival in The Gambia next year is now “beyond the Gambia Chef Association but a national issue that’s the Gambian government and the Gambian people.”
The Minister assured the chefs of his Ministry’s and the government’s full support, noting that everybody needs to get involved to ensure a successful hosting of WAFFEST 2026.
Amie Njie, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), and Matty Amie Jobe from the National Centre for Arts and Culture echoed the congratulations, with Ms. Jobe proudly telling the team, “You have proved to them that Jollof Rice is ours.”
Chef Musa Darboe thanked the Ministry, its satellite institutions, and all supporters.
He proudly disclosed that The Gambia can now boast of qualified and competent food and beverage judges to sit on panels in any culinary competition around the world.
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By: Yunus S. Saliu Honourable Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Monday received and congratulated the triumphant…
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