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Exotic Moments at Lagos Seafood Festival

You may be forgiven if your knowledge of fish species is limited to the ones found in local markets. But at the recently held Lagos seafood festival at Bar Beach, Lagos different species of fish were deliciously arrayed. Fishes had never been so beautifully displayed. There were fishes everywhere, from the garnished prawns, crabs, shrimps, oysters, snails, to the gigantic catfish, barracuda, croaker; it was an eyeful for any visitor.

There really must be something enthralling in the water or how else can one explain the exotic seafood on display at the festival. As calm as the sea may appear, it is amazing to discover those species in the water and credence must be given to the fishermen who explore the sea to bring to us these nourishing proteins.

The atmosphere at the festival was impressive. As early as 11.30 am, the vendors had arrived, setting up their stands, which were provided by the Lagos State government. The expectant look on the faces of the vendors was nearly dampened by the dark sky as if it would rain. But nothing could prevent Lagosians and tourists from participating in this remarkable event as visitors from different parts of Lagos and beyond thronged the venue with their shopping bags, eager to explore the fish market. Umbrella canopies were set at the venue to prevent guests from the rain. Background music from the stage lit up the whole atmosphere such that that one is temporarily lost in an avalanche of the seafood.

Strolling from one stand to another, one is exposed to traditional delicacies of seafood: the deliciously decorated shrimps and prawns in pepper sauce, which unconsciously magnetically pulls the visitor to the stand and the vendor is not hesitant to indulge the visitor by having a taste, hoping to make sales as a result. The number of seafood cooked, grilled, baked, simmered was endless. Savoury aroma of barbecued fish, garnished with green vegetables and ketchup was a big temptation to visitors. The snails were another favourite. Beautifully adorned with onions, fresh tomato and pepper, they made the taste bud scream with desire. One couldn’t miss the famous catfish peppersoup and to honour this enviable fish delicacy, a competition was held in which three winners emerged. The overall winner carted away a cash prize of N500,000 while the first and second runner-up went home with N300,000 and N200,00 respectively handed over by the state’s Deputy
Governor Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire. There were also finger chops and the local vendors were available to serve guests as well.
But it was not all about the fresh frozen foods and cooked meals, there were also variety of dried fishes; some packaged while some left unclad.
 Visitors couldn’t stop gazing at the incredible big-sized croaker and barracuda but the local fishermen were available to satisfy their curious minds. A tropical blend was added to this festivity with the provision of coconut drinks served at different stands. Sipping directly from the unshelled coconut gave a thrilling experience for the guests. 
Nestle, makers of maggi seasoning, the major sponsor of the show, also had its stands mounted in the arena, providing entertainment and commercial benefits to the guests.

Maggi, which has become a household name in cooking, held guests spellbound with its cooking shows, even Ade Bantu, the Afropolitan musician, couldn’t resist watching this show. The chef taught the guests how to prepare colourful and tasty meals with a low budget. One of the favourites was the green rice; a beautiful combination of pumpkin, curry leaf, scent leaf, fresh diced tomatoes and pepper, shrimps, fresh Shawa and of course the maggi seasoning. Meanwhile, other products of Nestle such as Milo, Golden Morn and others were also available for sale at cheaper prices.

The Lagos seafood festival is just another avenue of promoting culture, commerce and tourism in Lagos State. As a bustling coastal region, Lagos boasts of many water bodies and thus it is imperative that the state harnesses its marine potential through such a remarkable event. The maiden edition of the seafood festival began last year with about 3,000 participants.
With such huge success, it became pertinent that the festival will provide a veritable platform to showcase the aquaculture of the state. Arguably, the commercial gains are also tremendous as local fishermen and vendors maximized this opportunity to gain recognition and also advertise their products. According to Mrs. Victoria, a fish vendor from Badagry, the festival was a unique platform to boost the fish industry. She was grateful to the government of Lagos State for the privilege given her to partake in this significant event. This increasing awareness enables the fishermen and women to interact with the guests, tourists as well as other participants.

The vendors are mainly from the different local governments in the state such as Eti-osa, Badagry, Epe and Ikorodu among others.
Representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Abike Dabiri led the seafood producers of her constituency to the festival to exhibit their produce from the waters of Ijede and Ikorodu environs. Also present at the event was the First Lady of Lagos, Dame Abimbola Fashola, who showed her support for small businesses in the Fishing communities of Lagos State.
The series of activities reached a culminating climax when Maltina, a title sponsor of the festival, unveiled the largest ‘Wall of Happiness’ in Africa.

The massive wall, built by the leading malt beverage, took a pride of place at the venue with thousands of fans flocking to Maltina’s Happiness Pavilion which offered a colorful arcade with exciting games, Karaoke, video highlights and a spectacular LED screen, capturing the contagious excitement of fans experiencing the brand with many winning exciting gifts.
9ice, Seyi Shay, Reminisce and Black Magic were among the star performers who rocked the stage with their electrifying performance bringing the Lagos Seafood Festival to a colourful and exciting close.