After three stellar exposés of the biggest culinary experience in Africa, the GTBank Food and Drink Festival is getting bigger for the 4th edition, which will hold for 4 days from Sunday, 28th April, to Wednesday 1st May 2019 at the GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos.

Created in 2016 by leading African financial institution, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, the GTBank Food and Drink Festival has become the premier culinary event in Africa, bringing together tens of thousands of people from across the continent and beyond to support and celebrate Nigeria’s vibrant and burgeoning small businesses in the food retail sector.

Over the last three years, the event has hosted more than 450,000 people, featured dozens of entrepreneurial masterclasses by international chefs and food business experts and launched or propelled the businesses of hundreds of entrepreneurs in the food retail industry.

Commenting on the 2019 GTBank Food and Drink Festival, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Office or Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Segun Agbaje disclosed that this year, alongside adding an extra day to the event, the GTBank Food and Drink Festival will offer free Retail Stalls to over 300 small businesses, more than double the number from the previous year.

“We are delighted to bring to our customers, small business owners and food lovers across the continent and beyond, another edition of an event that is second to none in delivering the finest culinary experience in Africa. This year, we are taking our commitment to promoting enterprise in the SME sector further by giving small businesses more opportunities to connect with consumers and business experts from around the world.”

“At GTBank, we will continue to focus on promoting enterprise in food and fashion, because we know that by investing in both sectors, we are propelling local entrepreneurs to dominate two critical sectors of our economy”, he said

Meanwhile, the event will also feature a series of masterclasses and cookery classes facilitated by renowned food and drink experts from around the world. In addition, there will be a farmers’ market for the sale of fresh and organic produce as well as a showcase of some of the finest street foods in Africa’s largest city. In line with its family theme, the 4-day event will also feature exciting games and fun exercises designed to thrill and entertain children all day long.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc is regarded by industry watchers as one of the best run financial institutions across its subsidiary countries and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world-class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality, and innovation.

The Bank is also intervening in key economic sectors to strengthen small businesses and recently launched the GTBank Food Industry Credit and Fashion Industry Credit, unique loan products designed specifically for small businesses in the food and fashion industry, and offered at a repayment rate of 9 percent per annum.