Rising Unemployment Rate: Nigerian graduates should look into chef profession for career — Expert Anselyn

The Black Chef African Scholarship Programme is designed for young and passionate aspiring chefs across Africa to achieve their dreams of becoming a professional chef. In this exclusive interview with Amaike Ihuoma Okoronkwo, Chef Anselyn a certified chef by American Culinary Federation highlights some opportunities the foundation proposes for Nigerian aspiring chefs, opportunities and the benefits to Nigerians at large, particularly as realities of unemployment frown at young graduates.

Chef Anselyn is a certified chef by America Culinary Federation.  He is the Culinary Director at the CMK Culinary School, Nigeria with branches in Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Can you speak on the CMK Culinary School, Nigeria?

We are the leading culinary institute, representing Nigeria at International Culinary Competitions. We are an approved centre for City & Guilds London. We have been here for nine years now!

What is Black Chef Foundation all about?

Black Chef African Foundation is a CMK Culinary Initiative Scholarship Programme designed to help young and passionate aspiring chefs across Africa to achieve their dreams of becoming a professional chef. This scholarship programme is competitive, hence competition oriented. The whole idea was birthed by Chef Diya, Head Executive Patisserie chef since 2018. She believes everybody deserves a chance to become great, most especially aspiring chefs of Nigerian origin. Many Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) which are seriously into some kinds of empowerment for Nigerian youths who are desirous to become future chefs for a career in the near future are welcome. The government has failed in the employment policies and the rate of unemployment has become very high, coupled with the numbers who graduate into the job market with little or no hope for a meaningful employment opportunity. It is an opportunity to empower participants and set the ball rolling for African chefs in the making.  The aim is to provide that platform for young and passionate African chefs to rise through culinary initiatives considering the high cost of attending Culinary School bearing in mind the economic crisis across Nigeria and Africa at large.

Who is eligible for the contest?

As our 1st edition, this opportunity is only open for Nigerians, like they say “charity begins from home.” The demographic of the people who need this opportunity are Nigerian passionate youths, both male and female across the length and breadth of Nigerian states. Other subsequent editions might come up to the African continent where we hope to engage and as well empower more chefs from Africa just as the name implies.

What benefits are deliverable to participants?

Participants will be drawn from all the States of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and being a scholarship-oriented initiative, we have the following categories for all participants: 1st position – N1,450,000 worth scholarship. This is for all participants which are staked in stages. Whoever comes first after the different competing stages would smile home with the sum of N1,450,000:00 (One Million Four Hundred and Fifty Naira) only worth of scholarship.

2nd position – N750,000 worth in scholarship. Whoever emerges the second position at the completion goes home with the sum of N750,000:00 (Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only worth of scholarship. 3rd position  N450,000:00. The third person overall also goes home with the sum of N450,000:00 (Four Hundred and Fifty Naira) only worth of scholarship. We hope and intend to do more if we get all the necessary support from good, meaningful Nigerians, corporate organisations, individuals, NGOS, and Hospitality Firms etc.

Is there anything you would want the Nigerian government to do as an option for effective planning and execution?

Yes, through this initiative, winners will acquire the skill to become either employable or self-employed.  We want the Nigerian Government to come in and support us financially considering the logistics involved. We are faced with lots of financial related logistics necessary for the proper execution of an empowerment opportunity of this nature. The likes of  transportation for the organisers and participants from all the States of the Federation to and from, the venue of the event. Hotel accommodation for all participants and organisers, feeding, publicity, consolation gifts for other participants outside the ones listed above etc. In 2023, with government support, we will be able to extend the BCA opportunity to other African countries, because that’s the dream, putting Nigeria first on international radar, like in the Olympics and Commonwealth games.

We shall be glad to receive doations and quick support to make this 1st edition a success, no matter how small, from the government, organisations, agencies and individuals. Payments can be made through our banking details as displayed, Celebrity Mobile kitchen, Access Diamond Bank 0035151017.  We can also be contacted directly on our mobile phone 08035782455/ 07026600011/[email protected]/ www.cmkculinary.org

What message do you have for future chefs and the general public?

I want to assure all future young chefs that the dream of making a career as a chef  is still possible in Nigeria. As a Nigerian it behooves us to use whatever facilities, opportunities and government support to move the nation forward. Nigeria should lead other African nations in all aspects and this should not be an exception. We know very well that most career minded individuals would make good use of this opportunity and we wish them the best this opportunity can offer.