Lagos State Backs Street Foodz Naija’s Fifth Season

Iyke Bede

Returning for its fifth season, Street Foodz Naija, a cooking reality show by Maxima Media Group, has joined forces with the Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, to further empower youth foodpreneurs across Nigeria.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Oluwatotoyin Oke-Osanyintolu, the partnership will help elevate youths in the informal sector by providing them with the essential skills to scale their businesses and have more impact in job creation.

“Street Foodz Naija resonated with us because we have been looking for avenues to engage and educate youths in the informal sector of the economy. About 50 per cent of the population in Lagos are youths, and that number just shows how important this project is to us,” Oke-Osanyintolu noted.

Running on the theme of ‘Love and Street Food,’ Managing Director, Maxima Media Group, Femi Ogundoro, reiterated the impact of the show since its inception in elevating the careers of its participants to gain requisite skills through formal education and onsite training on branding from the insights they gained from the judges.

“These guys are the street food vendors, and, in the last couple of decades, they were not people you wanted to really be associated with. We love the food, it’s tasty, but we know that in terms of branding, in terms of positioning, those businesses don’t even scale.

“But things have changed since we started Street Foodz Naija. And we see a lot of these guys doing great things. Pre-Street Foodz, you probably had them struggling. It’s not just about the money, it’s about the experience. It’s about mentorship and empowerment after the show itself.”

With the call for entries ending on September 23, and production and airing scheduled for October, the show, which has been television viewers’ favourite for its authenticity in promoting Nigerian and African food, will return with three new judges: Tolani Tayo-Osikoya, a food blogger famed as Chef T; Chinedu Ejemba, a medical doctor and social media influencer; and Opeyemi Famakin, an online food reviewer. Enioluwa Adeoluwa will anchor this season.

With a prize of ₦10 million, culinary school sponsorship, and consolation prizes, the fifth season will run for seven weeks on Saturdays and Sundays on Foodbay TV. Viewers can also catch up on their official YouTube channel.