“Have some respect for food” — Abla Dzifa Gomashie urges at Afro Gastro Festival 2025

The Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has made a passionate appeal to the private sector, hospitality industry, and creative practitioners to invest in Africa’s culinary identity, describing food as a catalyst for innovation, job creation, and cultural diplomacy.

Speaking on Day Two of the Afro Gastro Festival 2025 at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra, the Minister emphasized the need to “have some respect for food,”

She urgrd Ghanaians and Africans at large to recognize the immense social and economic power embedded in their food traditions.

“Food is not only an innovation but also a development tool — an enabler for job creation, a link between culture, medicine, science, technology, and industry,” she said.

"There is rarely anywhere that food is patronized where music, dance, art, and fashion do not have an interaction. Food brings everything together.”

Madam Gomashie highlighted that the Afro Gastro Festival was more than a cultural showcase — it is a platform to position African cuisine at the center of global culinary conversations while strengthening the continent’s creative economy.

She called on investors, development partners, and cultural agencies to recognize the business potential within food tourism and African gastronomy.

The Minister also expressed appreciation to participating countries and partners, including Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Peru, Barbados, Jamaica, Senegal, Brazil, and to celebrated culinary figures such as Chef Faila and the Omanye Chefs, for their commitment to showcasing Africa’s diverse flavors and culinary creativity.

The event was infused with vibrant cultural performances and live music from some of Ghana’s finest talents, including Byno, Bessa Simons, Sheriffa Gunu, and Gyedu-Blay Ambolley.

In a lighthearted moment that drew laughter and applause from the audience, Madam Gomashie described Ambolley as “a handsome man,” expressing admiration for his enduring influence on Ghana’s music scene.

She further emphasized that food and the creative arts are inseparable, noting that every successful festival experience intertwines cuisine, music, dance, and fashion.

“As we celebrate food, we are also celebrating our identity — the stories, the sounds, and the spirit that make us African,” she said.

"Through festivals like Afro Gastro, we can develop, practice, and share our culture with the world.”

Madam Gomashie thanked the directors and staff of the Ministry’s 17 agencies, as well as international embassies — including the British High Commission and the Embassies of Morocco, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, and Suriname — for their partnership and contributions to the success of the festival.

She pledged that future editions of the Afro Gastro Festival would expand its reach across other African and Caribbean countries, promoting peace, collaboration, and cultural exchange through food diplomacy.

The Minister promised that next year’s edition would be “bigger, better, and even more inspiring,” reaffirming government’s commitment to building a strong and inclusive creative economy through tourism, culture, and the arts.

The Afro Gastro Festival 2025 brought together chefs, artists, diplomats, entrepreneurs, and cultural enthusiasts to celebrate the intersection of African cuisine and creativity — transforming Accra into a hub of flavor, rhythm, and innovation.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Hawa Abubakar