Chef Gigi Wins Ghana’s Onga Jollof Battle, Earns Chance to Represent Country at West African Competition

Chef Gigi of Gigi’s Kitchen has emerged as the winner of Ghana’s national Onga Jollof Battle, earning the opportunity to represent the country at the Onga Jollof Battle West Africa Edition 2.

The competition, organised by Promasidor, manufacturers of Onga seasonings, brought together culinary talents from across West Africa to celebrate one of the region’s most beloved dishes — jollof.

The West African edition was held at La Palm Royal Beach, with chefs and culinary representatives from Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Nigeria taking part in the highly competitive food event.

Before the regional competition, Onga organised a national selection process in Ghana to identify the chef who would represent the country.

Members of the public were invited to tag their favourite jollof plugs, after which 10 selected contestants were chosen to compete at the national level.

The contestants had the opportunity to demonstrate their cooking abilities, creativity and mastery of jollof preparation.

At the end of the Ghanaian competition, Chef Gigi of Gigi’s Kitchen emerged as the winner, securing the honour of representing Ghana at the West African edition of the Onga Jollof Battle.

Her victory placed Ghana’s culinary talent on a regional platform alongside some of the finest jollof chefs from other participating West African countries.

Following the competition, appreciation was expressed to Promasidor for putting together the initiative and providing chefs with a platform to showcase their talents.

The programme was also described as an important opportunity for chefs and food entrepreneurs to gain exposure, demonstrate their creativity and contribute to the promotion of Ghanaian cuisine.

The initiative further highlighted the growing influence of Ghana’s food and hospitality industry, particularly the increasing number of chefs and food businesses building brands around local dishes.

The event has also drawn attention to innovative Ghanaian food ventures such as Oheneba Ongalicious Jollof Food Truck, which seeks to take Ghanaian jollof to consumers through a modern food-truck concept.

The growing popularity of food trucks and other innovative food businesses demonstrates how Ghanaian chefs are finding new ways to package and market traditional meals.

There are calls for more support and visibility for such culinary entrepreneurs so they can expand their businesses, create employment and promote Ghanaian food locally and internationally.

The Onga Jollof Battle West Africa Edition 2 brought together culinary talents from different countries in a celebration of food, culture and healthy competition.

With Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone and Nigeria participating, the competition once again placed the famous West African jollof rivalry in the spotlight.

For Chef Gigi and Gigi’s Kitchen, winning Ghana’s national contest marked a significant achievement and provided an opportunity to showcase Ghanaian culinary talent on a broader West African stage.

The competition also demonstrated the power of food to promote culture, entrepreneurship and unity across the region.