First Lady fulfils promise to Lagos Boy Child Initiative Cooking Champions

The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has honoured her promise to reward winners of the 2025 Lagos Boy Child Initiative (LBCI) Cooking Competition with a fine dining experience, shopping vouchers, and professional training opportunities.

At a luncheon hosted at the Red Restaurant, Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Dr. Sanwo-Olu expressed delight that the initiative’s pledge to celebrate the young winners had been fulfilled.

She reaffirmed that the LBCI Prize Giving Day is not merely about awarding prizes, but about reinforcing the vision and mission of the initiative launched in October 2021 to nurture, protect, and empower boys in Lagos State.

“The Lagos Boy Child Initiative was created to give equal attention to the boy child. While the world has rightly invested heavily in supporting the girl child, there is also a need to balance the narrative and ensure that boys are guided, mentored, and supported to become responsible leaders, professionals, and citizens,” she said.

The First Lady noted that the cooking competition had successfully challenged gender stereotypes, proving that the kitchen is not reserved for girls alone.

According to her, the contest demonstrated that boys can excel in every sphere of life if given the right opportunities, including areas society has traditionally limited to females.

The winning teams were rewarded with shopping vouchers redeemable at leading supermarkets. Ikeja Division, which clinched first place with 37 points, received vouchers worth ₦100,000 for each team member. The second-placed team, also from Ikeja Division with 35 points, received ₦80,000 vouchers redeemable at Ebeano Supermarkets.

Meanwhile, the third position, tied between Badagry and Epe Divisions with 34 points each, was awarded ₦50,000 vouchers for their members, redeemable at Just Rite Supermarkets.

In addition, the leaders of the winning teams will attend a three-week, all-expenses-paid continental culinary arts course.

The training is being organised through a collaboration between LBCI, the Dipo Jaji Foundation, and Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School.

The winners also embarked on an educational tour of Eko Hotels, including the Red Restaurant Kitchen and the Nigerian Restaurant Kitchen, to deepen their exposure to the hospitality industry.

Dr. Sanwo-Olu reiterated that initiatives such as the cooking competition were designed not just to celebrate talent, but to provide life-changing opportunities for young boys.

She stressed that by encouraging boys to step into diverse fields, Lagos State was shaping a generation of balanced, responsible, and empowered leaders.