The Guaranty Trust Holding Company, GTCO, has lived up to its mantra of ”Promoting Enterprise” as one hundred and seventy(170) food entrepreneurs leveraged the 2025 GTCO Food and Drink Festival to network, display and promote their ventures to potential investors and lovers of food and flavours drawn from across Nigeria and Africa.
In separate interviews at this year’s festival, Blacktalker spoke with food entrepreneurs, who spoke of outstanding testimonies with their inspiring stories of growth, learning and brand visibility, which was made possible by the annual event.
For Dolapo Daramola, founder of Ajara Foods, the festival was nothing short of a breakthrough. Despite being new to the business, having only launched in January, her brand gained unexpected traction. ‘It’s a blessing. We are new. The fact that I got in, I don’t know how,’ Daramola shared, describing her surprise at being selected for the festival.
Her brand’s visibility skyrocketed as customers flocked to her stall, some even returning with photos of her products, eager to make purchases. ‘I’ve been getting offers for exports,’ she revealed, noting how the festival provided the exposure she needed to scale her brand.
The festival also brought valuable feedback from customers, which Daramola embraced. One notable suggestion was for her to create a local version of a popular Ghanaian pepper sauce known as shito.
‘Over 20 of them have asked for it, so definitely I’ll be adding that to my list of products,’ she said. Additionally, feedback on her premium packaging led her to consider introducing a more affordable pouch option.
For Ife Dayo of The Tosha, a drinks and smoothie brand, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival was a familiar yet transformative experience. Having participated in the previous edition, she saw firsthand how the event bolstered her brand’s visibility and sales.
‘GTCO is a larger publicity for us. We don’t have to do much, and we are seen,’ Dayo explained.
The Tosha showcased a mix of international flavours, with its Oreo, Lotus Biscoff and Cinnamon and Sugar flavours being crowd favorites.
Despite the positive experience, Dayo highlighted a key challenge: traffic congestion and urged the organizers to address this issue to make the festival more accessible.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, Segun Julius Agbaje, emphasized the powerful role food plays in uniting people, preserving culture, and fostering enterprise.
Agbaje described food as more than nourishment, calling it “a tradition that binds us in shared moments of joy and connection.” He reflected on how, across Africa and beyond, meals serve as storytellers, conveying heritage, family warmth and glimpses of the future.
“Through food, we welcome others into our world, sharing not just a meal, but a piece of ourselves,” he said.
Highlighting GTCO’s dedication to enterprise development, he noted that the festival “celebrates not only food but the people who make it and the cultures it represents.”
He expressed gratitude to stakeholders and supporters who have contributed to the festival’s growth and invited all guests, customers, exhibitors and food lovers to enjoy a weekend of celebration, cuisine and cultural exchange.
The GTCO Food and Drink Festival has again proven as a launchpad for emerging and established brands, providing a platform for visibility, feedback and growth.