Tag: GTCentre

GTCO Food and Drink Festival 2026 Presents “Everything Food and Drink”

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO Plc) is pleased to announce the 9th edition of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival, scheduled to hold from Friday, May 1st to Sunday, May 3rd, 2026, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

This year’s theme, “Everything Food and Drink,” captures the expansive nature of the Festival experience. It reflects not only the variety of cuisines on display but also the depth of stories behind them. Over the years, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival has grown far beyond a seasonal celebration to become a culturally significant platform where food and drink serve as a meeting point for storytelling, innovation, and opportunity. The Festival will feature 204 free retail stalls, showcasing the rich diversity and creativity of our food culture; from time-honoured traditional dishes preserved across generations, to bold contemporary interpretations of global cuisine, creating space for every flavour, every technique, and every craving to find expression.

Visitors can expect a rich programme featuring interactive masterclasses, live culinary demonstrations, food and wine tastings, and a vibrant marketplace showcasing small and medium-scale food businesses alongside established culinary brands. In addition to its wide range of food and drink offerings, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is renowned for its family-friendly atmosphere, with a well-equipped play area and a variety of engaging activities for children, ensuring an unforgettable experience for the whole family.

Speaking ahead of the 2026 edition, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GTCO Plc, Segun Agbaje, emphasized the Festival’s continued evolution as both a cultural and economic enabler: “The GTCO Food and Drink Festival has, over the years, become a living expression of what we stand for as an institution: innovation, opportunity, and enterprise that is accessible to all. What makes this platform special is not just its scale, but its humanity. It brings together people from different walks of life around something universal—food and drink—and in doing so, it breaks barriers and builds connections that extend far beyond the event itself.”

Since inception, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival has positioned itself as one of Africa’s most prominent culinary gatherings, attracting participation from across Nigeria and increasingly from the wider continent and diaspora.

Admission remains free and open to all, reaffirming the Festival’s commitment to accessibility as a consumer-focused event that brings people together through food, drink, culture, and enterprise.

April 22, 2026
Plans underway for the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival… A Celebration of Authentic Flavours

The countdown has begun to the 7th edition of the most anticipated culinary festival in Africa and Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO) is excited to announce dates for the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, set to take place from Friday, April 26th to Sunday, April 28th, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The GTCO Food and Drink Festival is widely recognised as the continent’s biggest food and drink festival, bringing together millions of food lovers and entrepreneurs to celebrate the rich and diverse culinary heritage of Africa with a vibrant display of flavours, aromas, and cultures. Over the three-day period, attendees can look forward to an array of culinary delights, from traditional African dishes to innovative fusion cuisines from other parts of the world. The festival will also feature live cooking demonstrations, tasting sessions, along with hundreds of food retailers showcasing a diverse range of mouth-watering offerings.

Commenting on the 2024 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said: “We are delighted to bring to our customers, exhibitors, and food lovers from across Africa and beyond, another edition of an event that is a celebration of not just food, but of the rich tapestry of cultures and traditions that make African cuisine so unique. Our vision for curating this consumer-focused event is unchanging, particularly in light of the pressures that individuals and businesses are facing at this time. We hope to consistently create memorable moments for everyone, whilst providing a free, vibrant, and commercially viable platform for small food businesses in Nigeria to grow and thrive.”

In addition to its culinary offerings, the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is renowned for its family-friendly atmosphere. This year, organisers have curated an extensive lineup of activities for children, ensuring that the festival is an unforgettable experience for the whole family. A specially designed play area will keep the little ones entertained with games, interactive exhibits, and more. As a new and exciting feature, the fair will introduce a children’s baking class, providing young aspiring chefs with a wonderful opportunity to discover the joys of baking, while also fostering creativity and confidence in the kitchen. From decorating cupcakes to crafting their own signature treats, children will unleash their culinary genius and develop valuable cooking skills in a fun and supportive environment.

GTCO is a leading financial services group with banking operations in Nigeria, West Africa, East Africa, and the United Kingdom alongside new businesses in Payment, Funds Management, and Pension Fund Administration. The Group operates a diversified, Proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond. Its leadership in the banking industry and efforts at empowering people and communities has earned it many prestigious awards over the years. In 2023, GTCO’s Guaranty Trust Bank was recognized as Nigeria’s Best Bank and Best Bank in CSR at the Euromoney Awards for Excellence, Best Banking Group in Nigeria by World Finance, and Best Bank in Nigeria by Global Finance. Guaranty Trust Bank also featured in the Top 1000 Banks in the World and Top 100 Banks in Africa rankings by The Banker.

Mark your calendars and prepare your taste buds as we come together in celebration of authentic flavours at the 2024 Food and Drink Festival. Attendance is FREE.

For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com.

March 21, 2024
Africa’s Finest: 6th Edition of The GTCO Fashion Weekend Holds in November

The Fashion Industry is in for another exciting experience as the GTCO Fashion Weekend returns for its 6th edition in November. The highly anticipated event is scheduled to hold on November 11th and 12th, 2023, at the GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos.

The GTCO Fashion Weekend is an annual consumer-focused fair designed to showcase the best of Africa’s Finest fashion to a global audience. Over the years, the event has firmly established its place as an incubator for diverse talent, creativity, and enterprise in fashion retail, bringing together some of Africa’s prominent fashion brands alongside relatively newer labels to interact with universally celebrated fashion icons and engaging style personalities. In keeping with tradition, this year’s event will feature insightful masterclasses and thrilling runway shows together with free stalls for over 120 fashion retailers. Colourful façades, lively music, and a delightful ambience are popular elements of GTCO fairs and work together to create a multisensory, thoroughly fulfilling experience for all attendees.

Speaking on the 2023 GTCO Fashion Weekend, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said; “Fashion is not just about making items of clothing or style accessories, it is about exploring feelings and channelling creative expressions to create experiences that resonate with various buyers, across different markets. The GTCO Fashion Weekend is constantly evolving to reflect the rapid growth of the global fashion industry in terms of size and sophistication, as we continue to draw on the endless possibilities in fashion retail to create better outcomes for individuals, indigenous businesses, and our communities.”

He further said; “The landscape for fashion design is always shifting; so too consumer needs. The 2023 GTCO Fashion Weekend provides a unique opportunity for local fashion retailers to seize on emerging trends and buyers’ preferences to reposition their businesses and thrive amidst the uncertainties and complexities of the future.”

The GTCO Fashion weekend is one of the main platforms of Guaranty Trust Bank for ‘Promoting Enterprise’ primarily to benefit its growing retail and SME customer base as well as support the indigenous Creative Industry. Guaranty Trust Bank is the flagship subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, a leading financial services company providing banking and non-banking services across eleven countries spanning West Africa, East Africa, and the United Kingdom. The Group operates a diversified, ‘Proudly African’ franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, especially through its non-profit, consumer-focused fairs and capacity building initiatives for small businesses, which has endeared the GTCO brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond.

For more information on this event, please visit, https://fashionweekend.gtcoplc.com

Attendance is FREE.

September 21, 2023
Feature: GTCO Food and Drink Fair Championing Food Tourism in Nigeria

Today is a good day for African food.

Food is a common denominator across races and continents. It is one of the things that brings people today. Every gathering that has item 7 elicits joy. For Africans, meal times are precious; some grew up in a large families where children sit together to eat from big bowls while some gather around the dinner table. Recently, food festivals have become a big deal celebrating every fancy and interest.

Food festivals are a great way to learn about a country. Well, you get the opportunity to mingle with the locals, learn the taste and culture of the country, try some of the best local delicacies and experience other treats from the ones you have always had. Food festivals also serve as a great way to enhance the travel experience by teasing your taste buds with gastronomical delights that you have not savoured before.

The GTCO Food and Drink Fair in Lagos, Nigeria, has been a reference point for food enthusiasts across cultures, races and nationalities. The brand has championed food tourism, with many culinary explorers making trips in and out of visiting GTCentre for the highly branded, large-scale annual festival.

It attracts celebrity chefs from across the globe; Nigerian food processing companies all give the 3-day event an unparalleled learning experience to everyone who cares to participate in the fair.

The event is a family funfair, the adults and children have all they desire, ranging from scrumptious delicacies to lip-smacking drinks, amongst others.

Also, the dedicated play zone for the children makes it a fun-filled memorable experience for them. In the last six years, the fair has kept the tradition of making connoisseurs happy and filled to the gills with discerning palates and an appetite for gourmet cooking.

Everyone who takes time to attend the fair can meet good people, explore food from different tribes, and have a good time as a whole. The fair brings together the various gourmets’ sights, sounds, smells, and tastes.

There is an atmosphere of entertainment and party at this fair, and it truly showcases the lifestyle and culture of the country. Thousands of people throng this food festival every year, and it has become an a-list event on the social calendar of Nigerians.

May 4, 2023
2023 GTCO Food and Drink Festival: A Celebration of Food

The annual GTCO Food & Drink Festival is back again for its 6th Edition, and food lovers across Africa and the world are in for a feast like never before! The event is slated to hold from Saturday April 29th till Monday May 1st 2023, at GTCentre, Plot 1 Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, providing a 3-day weekend of food and endless celebration.

The GTCO Food & Drink Festival brings together the greatest minds on the global culinary stage, the most industrious Nigerian small food business owners, a world class, state-of-the-art children’s play area, merging them all to give attendees the most memorable food and drink event.

Commenting on the 2023 GTCO Food and Drink Festival, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said; “Food and drink are intrinsically social things, and best enjoyed when shared. We understand the value of bringing together businesses and consumers who are passionate about food and have continued to inspire new ways to experience life through food and drink. The continuing success of our free-business platforms reflect our unchanging commitment to Promoting Enterprise and echoes our brand promise of creating Great Experiences.”

Constantly innovating the space and on a quest to continue creating great experiences for all stakeholders, GTCO Food & Drink will be expanding its capacity by creating more opportunities for more businesses and increasing its highly coveted vendor stalls from 142 to 204, giving even more innovative and assiduous business owners the chance to not only showcase their businesses to the over 250,000 foodies in attendance, but also engage with their customer base and learn from a confluence of other great-minded food entrepreneurs. The event will also feature three premier DJs in Africa, setting the scene for a weekend of celebration, food, drink, and togetherness.

Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc is a leading financial services company providing banking and non-banking services including payments, wealth management, and pension fund management, with a presence across eleven countries spanning West and East Africa as well as the United Kingdom. The Group operates a diversified, Proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond. Over the years, many customers have benefited from its unique loan products including the Food Industry Credit and Fashion Industry Credit designed specifically for businesses in the food and fashion industry.

It’s time once again to come together and celebrate the great joys food has to offer! Attendance is FREE. For more information on the event, please visit: https://foodanddrink.gtcoplc.com

March 20, 2023
Fashion is Coming! Experience Africa’s Finest Fashion at the 2022 GTCO Fashion Weekend

Fashion and style enthusiasts around the world can once again look forward to experiencing unparalleled fashion moments at the 2022 Guaranty Trust (GTCO) Fashion Weekend scheduled to hold on November 12th and 13th, 2022, at the GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Lagos.

Guaranty Trust Fashion Weekend is a free business platform that combines elements of global fashion trends, the delicate nuances of African streetwear styles, and human creative enterprise to create one of the most delightful experiences in fashion retail. Over the years, the event has brought together universally celebrated fashion icons and engaging style personalities to interact with young Africans who are passionate about fashion. This year’s event will feature masterclasses, runway shows, free retail stalls, and a streetwear village. All-comers are in for an immersive shopping experience as indigenous small businesses showcase their fashion collections and style accessories.

Commenting on the 2022 GTCO Fashion Weekend, the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje, said; “We have kept our vision of supporting Small and Medium Enterprises in focus through the uncertain times of the past 2 years. Just like our core values as a financial institution, our promise of Promoting Enterprise will never change. We will continue to lend the full weight of our franchise to improving the lives and livelihoods of every African, not only through servicing the full range of our customers’ financial needs with innovative products and services, but also by creating and championing initiatives that help businesses and economies thrive.”

He further stated that; “Fashion is primarily a form of self-expression, and in light of everything that has happened since our last Fashion Weekend event in 2019, we are happy to be able to explore the possibilities within the fashion industry locally and abroad, particularly as people increasingly return outdoors and get to experiment with new fashion and style ideas.”

Guaranty Trust Bank is the flagship subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, a leading financial services company providing banking and non-banking services across eleven countries spanning West Africa, East Africa, and the United Kingdom. The Group operates a diversified, proudly African franchise and is renowned for its innovative approach to customer service and stakeholder engagement, especially through its non-profit, consumer-focused fairs and capacity building initiatives for small businesses, which has endeared the brand to millions of people across Africa and beyond.

The GTCO Fashion Weekend is critically acclaimed as one of the main events in Africa’s fashion circuit and its 5th edition is sure to entertain.

October 1, 2022
Feature: Reigniting the Delight for Local and International Cuisines at GTCO Food and Drink Festival 2022
by Oluwatosin Ojebisi

In its 5^th edition after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic, Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc returned to its annual free to attend Food and Drink Festival this year with over 140 retail vendors in attendance to showcase and sell an array of deliciously finger-licking and mouth-watering food and drinks. This year’s event was held from April 30^th to May 2^nd, at the GTCentre, Plot 1, Water Corporation Drive, Oniru, Victoria Island.

The festival which coincided with the Eid al-Fitr celebration was strategically done to mark the end of the fast and month of good. The event also aims to project the diverse angles of the food industry by connecting various businesses involved in the production and sale of food-related items to a cosmopolitan audience of food enthusiasts, culinary entrepreneurs, and food aficionados.

Notwithstanding, the festival was not just about showcasing food but offered food lovers an opportunity to enjoy sumptuous meals with family and friends. It also offered food exhibitors a platform to increase their brand visibility and sales, whilst showcasing their latest products, trends & innovations in the food industry.

In addition, culinary knowledge-sharing sessions during the event in form of Masterclasses were incorporated to foster knowledge and capacity building for all in attendance. Featuring cooking lessons from top Nigerian and foreign chefs, an outdoor grill, and entertainment was witnessed at the event.
Also, the event featured a variety of tastings from casual to gourmet traditional Nigerian dishes, continental specialties, ready-to-eat snacks, finger foods, and drinks. The Children at the event were not left out of the fun as they were specially catered to with a games centre, giving them the opportunity to engage in fun and educational activities.

Making an appearance during the festival is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc, Segun Agbaje. He stated that; “Africa’s history and rich cultural heritage is beautifully reflected in its cuisines. The primary objective of the GTCO Food and Drink Festival is to showcase our diversity and industry as a people whilst delivering a sumptuous culinary experience to food enthusiasts across the continent. As our contribution to the development of local SMEs, we want to see our retail customers who also own small businesses thrive by giving them more opportunities to connect with consumers from around the world.
“At GTCO Plc, we are committed to offering our customers and communities great experiences with every interaction and will continue to promote viable enterprises, particularly in the food and fashion industries, given the massive capabilities and countless multiplier effects inherent in these critical industry segments”. He concludes.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos, some vendors commended the bank for its support and investment in the growth of small businesses in Nigeria.

Chief Executive Officer, Yange Yoghurt, Efe Inyang, said, “I am so grateful that GTCO selected our business for this opportunity, it is so huge. We did not do anything but chose to bank with them. For me and my business, it is a big deal and my expectation for the fair is to sell out the things we brought to the fair. I hope to be here also next year if the opportunity is granted to us. We are so grateful to the GTCO. Keep doing what you are doing.

“The sale has been good even though we just came in today, this is our first time at the fair and we got a good spot. Everything has been perfect so far, GTCO is just fantastic at promoting SMEs through this initiative.” Inyang concludes.

Also commenting, Founder of Mmaabacha, a local cuisine shop, Anita Nwoye, said, “We provide meal services for local gatherings by serving local cuisines such as abacha, nkwobi, ugba, and palm wine, among others. It is our first time at the GTCO Food and Drink Festival and we expect wider visibility for our business through this platform. We hope to spread our network and hopefully get investors for our business. GTCO Food and Drink fair has impacted positively on my business and has opened more doors of opportunity for us.

“I expect to broaden the scope of my business from this outing based on the contact I have started gathering,” Nwoye added.
May 11, 2022