VBank Elevates Culinary Arts At Jollof Rice Faceoff

Leading digital bank, VBank, on Saturday 31 July 2021 in Lagos, Nigeria took its passion for entrepreneurial development and financial inclusion a step further by sponsoring the maiden edition of the ‘Jollof Faceoff’ competition.

The Jollof Faceoff brought together distinguished chefs, food experts and business owners in the food industry and showcased the culture, uniqueness and culinary talents of Nigerians and Ghanaians. By supporting the event, VBank reinforced its commitment to empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa.

According to the digital bank, the Face-off was designed to further equip participating chefs and entrepreneurs to transform and expand their food businesses into ventures generating employment, economic benefits and social value.

Speaking on the competition at a press parley, Senior Product Manager, VBank, Ebere Ahaotu said, “This kind of competition would allow us to appreciate cooking as an art form and further appreciate different cultures. We see it more as a way of impacting SMEs in the food business in Nigeria which is a major part of social and economic development.

He added that ”As an innovative brand, VBank is keen on economic empowerment, and it is our desire to see businesses go beyond profit-making to embed societal and environmental interests which would deliver long term growth.”

At the ‘Jollof Faceoff’, organisers ensured that all judges representing both African countries; Music producer and CEO Mavin Records; Don Jazzy, Food, Lifestyle Blogger and Vlogger; Sisi Yemmie, Culinary Entrepreneur; Mukase Chic and Media Practitioner; Abeiku Santana went through a blind tasting session and awarded scores across several parameters. Chef Hilda Effiong Bassey beat Chef Seyram Leslie Kumordzie to score the highest marks, winning the grand prize of $5,000.

‘Jollof Faceoff’ is just one of the many initiatives VBank intends to support this year. The digital bank has led many innovations in the fintech industry through its customer-led and industry-driven initiatives like its Grow with V webinar series and the new V series for SMEs. VBank, a product of VFD Microfinance bank is available as V by VFD on the Play and iOS app stores.