By Abdussamad Yahya Sufi
The management of Mewar International University has described traditional food as a country’s symbol of culture and national unity, urging students and Nigerians to preserve and appreciate their cultural heritage.
Speaking during the university’s Cultural Food Presentation, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olabode Agunbiade, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, said food is a central part of cultural identity.
“The students, as the Vice-Chancellor asked me to convey, should understand that food is a very important part of culture,” he said.
According to him, the traditional meals displayed by students from different ethnic groups indicate the beauty of Nigerian culture.
“The food items displayed here are symbols of Nigerian culture,” Professor Agunbiade said.
He mentioned that the participation of students from diverse ethnic backgrounds showed that Nigeria is united despite its differences.
“The presence of diverse ethnic groups here, as across the nation, proves that one nation exists despite our differences,” he added.
Professor Agunbiade encouraged students and Nigerians to remain connected to their cultural roots wherever they find themselves.
“I hope that wherever our students and other Nigerians are, they will remember their respective cultures and appreciate them,” he said.
He warned against the loss of cultural identity, and cautioned that abandoning one’s culture could have centuries consequences.
“Anyone who loses his culture loses everything. We encourage everyone to hold on to what is theirs so that foreign culture does not take away what belongs to us,” he said.
Also speaking to Education Monitor Newspaper and other journalists, the Dean and Director of the Open and Distance Learning Postgraduate School, Professor Kumar, described the event as impressive and educative.
“It is not only the cultural food display that impressed and beautified the event. At every stall, students wore their traditional attires,” he said.
Professor Kumar described food as a necessity of life and praised the students for displaying the diversity of Nigerian cuisine.
“Food is not just important, it is a necessity of life. What the students did today shows how specialized Nigerians are in preparing different types of meals, just as other communities do around the world,” he said.
He expressed satisfaction with the passion shown by students in promoting Nigerian culture.
“We are happy to see how our children are growing with the passion to display Nigerian culture to the world,” he added.
Professor Kumar also advised parents not to abandon traditional foods and urged them to teach their children cultural cooking skills.
“Parents should not teach only female children how to cook traditional foods. Male children should also be taught, and this should be taken seriously,” he said.
He reminded that in many world-class restaurants, both men and women are involved in cooking meals from different cultures.
“If you visit world-class restaurants, you will find that both males and females cook different foods from cultures around the world,” he said.
Students who took part in the Cultural Food Presentation described the event as both exciting and unifying.
Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad, a 200-level Computer Science student who represented the Fulani tribe, said he was pleased to see how students from different backgrounds came together to display their cultures. He said that the event depict the peaceful coexistence among students at the university.
“I am happy with how the different tribes displayed their cultural foods, and I hope my tribe, Fulani, comes first,” he said. “At MIU, students from different Nigerian tribes live peacefully and respect one another.”
Rejoice Akogun, a 400-level Public Administration student from Kogi State who represented the Igala tribe, said the public display of traditional meals was important for passing cultural knowledge to younger generations.
“We prepared our cultural foods openly so that the younger ones can see, learn and understand our heritage,” she said.
The statements were made as part of activities marking the ongoing Cultural Week at Mewar International University.