The Gambia has retained its Jollof Rice competition title at the 2026 West Africa Food Festival, extending its winning streak after emerging champion at last year’s contest in Accra, Ghana.
The competition was held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in The Gambia, bringing together culinary talents from across West Africa to showcase the region’s food heritage, cooking skills and hospitality traditions.
Team Gambia’s victory in the Jollof Rice category marked another milestone for the country’s culinary industry, as it also secured first place in the Bread Bakery Competition, Barbecue (BBQ), Chef of the Year and Jollof Heritage categories.
The country’s strong performance across the competitions highlighted its growing profile in regional culinary events, where food is increasingly being used to promote cultural identity and tourism.
In the Student Challenge category, Burkina Faso emerged winner, while YMCA, The Gambia, came second and the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute (GTHI) finished third.
The Bread Bakery Competition saw The Gambia take first place, followed by Nigeria in second position and Ghana in third.
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Sierra Leone won the Three-Tier Cake competition, with Ghana taking second place and Liberia finishing third.
In the BBQ category, The Gambia claimed the top position, while Nigeria came second and Liberia placed third.
The Chef of the Year competition also went to The Gambia, with Sierra Leone finishing second and Nigeria taking third place.
The Gambia completed its impressive showing by winning the Jollof Heritage category. Liberia came second, while Burkina Faso secured third position.
The results reflected the participation of culinary professionals, students and hospitality institutions from different West African countries, providing a platform for the exchange of culinary knowledge and the promotion of regional cuisines.
Beyond the competition, the festival underscored the potential of food tourism to showcase local ingredients, traditional cooking methods and national cultural identities while creating opportunities for chefs, hospitality businesses and other players in the tourism value chain.
The Gambia’s back-to-back Jollof Rice victories in Accra in 2025 and at the 2026 edition further strengthened its standing in the regional culinary contest, with its multiple category wins making it one of the festival’s standout participants.
