GTCO Food & Drink Festival begins Friday

The festival, which is organised by Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, a leading financial services company, is aimed at promoting enterprise and creating great experiences for all stakeholders in the food and drink industry.

The event promises to showcase the best of Nigerian and international cuisines, bringing together the greatest minds on the global culinary stage, the most industrious Nigerian small food business owners, and a world-class, state-of-the-art children's play area.

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According to the Group Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, “Food and drink are intrinsically social things, and best enjoyed when shared. We understand the value of bringing together businesses and consumers who are passionate about food and have continued to inspire new ways to experience life through food and drink. The continuing success of our free-business platforms reflects our unchanging commitment to promoting enterprise and echoes our brand promise of creating great experiences.”

Speaking ahead of the 2026 edition, the CEO of GTCO Plc emphasised the festival's continued evolution as both a cultural and economic enabler. “The festival has, over the years, become a living expression of what we stand for as an institution: innovation, opportunity, and enterprise that is accessible to all.”

Also, speaking during a press conference at the bank's headquarters, Mrs Oyinade Adegite, Head of Corporate Communications for Gtbank, said,  “To accommodate the increasing number of attendees and vendors, GTCO Food & Drink Festival is expanding its capacity by creating more opportunities for more businesses and increasing its highly coveted free vendor stalls to 204.” 

This, according to her, will give even more innovative and assiduous business owners the chance to not only showcase their businesses to the thousands of foodies expected to attend but also engage with their customer base and learn from a confluence of other great-minded food entrepreneurs.

She said that the 204 vendors were selected after a transparent and rigorous exercise from about six thousand Vendors that applied to participate, adding that 90 per cent of the Vendors are new ones that have never participated in the festival.

In addition to the food and drinks, the event, which grants free access to everyone, will also feature master classes with international chefs and food experts. There will be music and a lively after-party.  The festival promises to be a great opportunity for food lovers to explore and taste different cuisines from across the world and learn from industry experts.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond. Over the years, many customers have benefited from its unique loan products, including the Food Industry Credit and Fashion Industry Credit, designed specifically for businesses in the food and fashion industries.