The just-concluded GTCO Food & Drink Festival – Holiday Edition has once again affirmed Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc’s (GTCO) growing influence in Nigeria’s food economy, creative culture, and enterprise development ecosystem, as thousands of visitors thronged the venue for a unique blend of cuisine, commerce, and community celebration.
Held during the peak festive season, the Holiday Edition marked a significant evolution of the GTCO Food & Drink Festival from a conventional food event into a broader lifestyle, tourism, and enterprise platform—one designed to stimulate small business growth while offering families free access to premium holiday experiences.
Empowering SMEs and Driving Economic Impact
At the heart of the Festival was GTCO’s deliberate focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly Nigerian-owned food and beverage businesses. This year’s edition featured 213 vendors selected from over 4,000 applications nationwide, underscoring both the growing interest in the platform and the competitiveness of Nigeria’s food business landscape.
True to its enterprise-led philosophy, GTCO maintained its zero-cost vendor participation model, removing financial barriers that often limit SME access to large-scale consumer events. This approach enabled vendors—many of them first-time exhibitors—to showcase their products, grow brand visibility, and generate significant revenue during one of the most commercially active periods of the year.
Several vendors reported increased foot traffic, stronger customer engagement, and expanded market reach, reinforcing the Festival’s role as a catalyst for sustainable business growth rather than a one-off commercial outing.
Celebrating Nigerian Cuisine and Cultural Identity
Beyond commerce, the Festival served as a vibrant celebration of Nigeria’s culinary diversity and cultural heritage. From indigenous delicacies and street food staples to modern reinterpretations of traditional recipes, the GTCO Food & Drink Festival provided a global-standard platform for showcasing the richness of Nigerian cuisine.
Visitors were treated to an immersive food experience that highlighted how local flavours can be preserved, refined, and positioned competitively within contemporary food culture. For many vendors, the Festival represented an opportunity to tell their culinary stories while redefining perceptions of Nigerian food both locally and internationally.
Redefining the Holiday Experience for Families
One of the defining features of the Holiday Edition was its family-centred design. With free entry for all attendees, GTCO ensured that families could enjoy a premium festive experience without financial strain.
The inclusion of attractions such as the Children’s Play Zone, the Christmas Village, and other interactive spaces transformed the Festival into a safe, inclusive environment where parents and children could celebrate together. This intentional focus on accessibility and shared experiences helped redefine how urban festive celebrations can be structured in Nigeria.
Access, Inclusion and Community Engagement
GTCO’s commitment to free admission once again reinforced its belief that quality lifestyle experiences should not be exclusive. By eliminating entry fees, the Festival attracted a broad cross-section of society, strengthening community participation and deepening public engagement with the brand.
This inclusive model not only boosted attendance but also amplified vendor visibility, proving that accessibility and commercial success can coexist within well-structured events.
From Food Festival to Lifestyle and Enterprise Platform
Industry observers noted that the Holiday Edition signalled a strategic shift in the Festival’s programming. Unlike previous editions that leaned heavily on instructional content, this year’s experience focused more on immersive consumer engagement, entertainment, and experiential interactions.
The evolution reflects GTCO’s long-term vision of building a platform that supports enterprise development, cultural expression, tourism, and urban lifestyle experiences in a sustainable and scalable way.
Human Stories Behind the Brands
Behind the colourful stalls and bustling queues were compelling human-interest stories—women-led businesses, youth-driven startups, and emerging food entrepreneurs leveraging the Festival to expand their customer base and strengthen their brands.
For many of these SMEs, the GTCO Food & Drink Festival represented more than a sales opportunity; it was a launchpad for long-term growth, partnerships, and increased market credibility.
Boosting Lagos’ Lifestyle and Creative Economy
The Festival also contributed significantly to Lagos’ growing reputation as a food, lifestyle, and creative destination. By attracting large crowds and generating widespread social media buzz, the event underscored the economic value of experiential festivals in driving tourism and supporting the creative economy.
CSR with Measurable Impact
Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility initiatives focused on short-term philanthropy, GTCO’s Food & Drink Festival demonstrated a measurable, enterprise-driven CSR model—one that prioritises capacity building, market access, and economic empowerment.
By consistently investing in SME-focused platforms, GTCO continues to position enterprise development as a practical tool for national economic growth.
A Festival that Delivered on Vision
As the curtains closed on the GTCO Food & Drink Festival Holiday Edition, the overwhelming consensus among vendors, attendees, and industry stakeholders was that the event successfully delivered on its promise—empowering businesses, celebrating culture, and creating inclusive festive experiences.
With its growing scale, strong execution, and clear leadership vision, the Festival has firmly established itself as one of Africa’s leading food and lifestyle events, while reinforcing GTCO’s commitment to creativity, culture, and economic empowerment.
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