By Izuchukwu Mayor, Lagos
Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc), this weekend, held it maiden Holiday Edition of the GTCO Food & Drink Festival, a strategic expansion of Africa’s largest food and beverage platform into the festive season.
The two-day event, which ended yesterday, was held at the GT Centre, Oniru, Lagos, running daily from 10:00am to 10:00pm, and was free and open to the public.
Designed to coincide with one of the most commercially active periods of the year, the Holiday Edition delivers a carefully curated blend of culinary excellence, family-oriented entertainment, and enterprise development.
The Holiday Edition reflects GTCO’s evolving approach to experience-led engagement, placing emphasis on immersive consumer experiences while sustaining the Festival’s core objective of supporting Nigerian food entrepreneurs.
This year’s edition features 213 Nigerian-owned food and beverage businesses, selected from over 4,000 applications nationwide, reinforcing the Festival’s growing relevance as a credible commercial platform for SMEs and a significant contributor to the creative economy.
Festival attendees were treated to a diverse culinary showcase spanning traditional Nigerian favourites, contemporary street food concepts, artisanal beverages, and modern fusion cuisine. Notable vendors that participated in the Holiday Edition include MelonyPine, Firewood Jollof Nigeria, Dundu Nation, Polo Club Suya, Thugg Burgers, Pizzawheels, Chow Noodle Bar, Jazzy’s Burger, 247 Drinks and 247 Cocktails.
Others included The Coconut Lady, Pancakes & Co., Butterfly Bakery, Amala Place Canteen, Nonos Catering, Sooyah Bistro, and Mmaabacha, among several others. Collectively, these brands represent the depth, creativity, and commercial potential of Nigeria’s food ecosystem.
Unlike previous editions, the Holiday Edition has been intentionally structured to prioritise festive engagement over instructional programming.
The Holiday Edition provides an opportunity to deepen GTCO’s impact by supporting food entrepreneurs at a peak sales period, while offering families and communities a high-quality, accessible festive destination.
The experience includes a Christmas Village featuring curated gift items and seasonal treats, an expanded Street Food Hub celebrating Nigeria’s street food culture, a dedicated Children’s Play Zone designed to accommodate families, and continuous live DJ entertainment to create a vibrant holiday atmosphere throughout the two-day event.
Speaking on the significance of the Holiday Edition, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, Segun Agbaje, had noted that the Festival continues to serve as a powerful vehicle for enterprise development while fostering shared cultural experiences.
He reaffirmed that the Holiday Edition provided an opportunity to deepen GTCO’s impact by supporting food entrepreneurs at a peak sales period, while offering families and communities a high-quality, accessible festive destination.
Consistent with its long-standing commitment to inclusive growth, GTCO has retained its zero-cost participation model for vendors, ensuring that small and medium-sized businesses can benefit directly from increased visibility, customer engagement, and revenue generation without financial barriers.
The GTCO Food & Drink Festival – Holiday Edition underscores the Group’s belief that meaningful cultural experiences, creativity, and economic opportunity should remain accessible to all.
As Lagos entered the holiday season, the Festival stood as a timely convergence of commerce, culture, and celebration—reinforcing GTCO’s role as a catalyst for enterprise and community connection.
