Jollof Wars: Celebrating the Diversity of Taste at World Jollof Day Festival 2022

The fuel on which families, conversations, cultures and celebrations in West Africa runs. Unifying yet intensely divisive. A simple yet multifaceted delicacy with an extraordinary ability to arouse intense positive emotions.

Jollof rice is one of the strongest threads that runs through countries and regions in West Africa. From Nigeria to Senegal, our shared interest in this beloved and highly revered meal remains one of the forces that binds us. It is f simultaneously, the source of a long-standing discord among us – the Ghana vs Nigeria Jollof Wars has been described as “the most heated food debate amongst any diaspora”.

It may seem like the age-long question “Who makes the best jollof rice in West Africa?” will never be answered in unison but there is one more reason to try.

To commemorate this year’s World Jollof Rice Day, The Party Company, an experiential event company based in Lagos, Nigeria is organizing World Jollof Day Festival with a strategic refreshment partnership with Coca-Cola to further deepen the relationship between Coke & Meals.

The festival will bring together every possible stakeholder in the jollof rice ecosystem across four West African countries – The Gambia, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria. From chefs to professional food tasters, culinary curators to food bloggers, foodies, vendors, enthusiasts and everyone who has held an unwavering opinion about their version of jollof rice, World Jollof Day Festival promises a rare opportunity to unify all parties.

Scheduled for August 21, 2022, World Jollof Day Festival will be held at the Muri Okunola Park VI Lagos, this event will host chefs from the four participating countries who will attempt to convince attendees of the supremacy of their version of jollof rice. Their submissions will be tasted by judges from around the world and a winner will be selected. Festival goers will also get the chance to taste the meals and share their opinions.

According to the convener and co-founder, The Party Company, Tobi Andero, “Over the years, we have studied and understood the heavy influence that jollof rice wields in this and other parts of the world. Jollof Day Festival is an acknowledgement of the power of jollof rice and a celebration of the diversity of taste. We are not keen on naming a winner, we just want people to have fun while they enjoy several mouth-watering variations of this delicacy that we all love.”

The Festival will also feature performances from A-list Nigerian artists, games and other exciting activities. It will close with an after-party open to all attendees and participants.