By Editor
The Ekiti State Government has urged members of the Caterers’ Association of Nigeria (CAN), Ekiti Chapter, to sustain innovation, uphold quality standards and leverage digital platforms to enhance their contribution to economic development.
The Ekiti State Director-General, Bureau of Community Communications, Mrs Mary Oso-Omotosho, gave the charge in Ado-Ekiti during the 2026 Caterers’ Day Celebration and Workshop, themed “Beyond the Plate.”
She said professional catering had evolved beyond food preparation and service delivery to become a key driver of job creation, entrepreneurship, hospitality and the creative economy.
Oso-Omotosho commended caterers for transforming the profession through creativity and professionalism, describing the growing recognition of catering as a viable career path as an achievement practitioners should be proud of.
She stressed that quality service remained the strongest advertisement for any catering business, urging practitioners to maintain high standards in food preparation and service delivery.
The Director-General advised caterers to always give their best, noting that the quality of their work served as their identity and signature, capable of attracting repeat patronage and referrals.
She also encouraged practitioners to maximise the use of social media platforms to showcase their services, build their brands and create lasting impressions among clients.
Oso-Omotosho commended CAN for its support for the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji, assuring that the government would continue to strengthen its partnership with the association to promote entrepreneurship and economic empowerment.
Earlier, the Ekiti State President of CAN, Mrs Stella Abiodun Akinola, popularly known as Damlek, said catering had gone beyond preparing and serving meals to creating memorable experiences for clients.
In her keynote address, Akinola said the profession required creativity, sacrifice, logistics management, customer relations and entrepreneurial skills.
She noted that despite rising operational costs, changing consumer preferences and increasing client expectations, caterers had continued to demonstrate resilience through innovation and improved service delivery.
Akinola urged members to continuously upgrade their skills, invest in branding, adopt effective pricing strategies, develop efficient business systems and explore strategic partnerships to expand their businesses beyond event catering.
