By Grace Edema
Cake-baking does not have its root in Africa; it might have been import into the continent from the Western countries during the colonial era. Over the years and due to acculturation, so many African countries now have cake as a vital part of their events – birthdays, weddings and anniversaries.
Nigeria, among other countries, has in an incredible manner localised cake designs with natural and cultural themes. Basically, there is no object that Nigerian bakers cannot make into cake. They have added a lot of creativity into the sugar-craft. Their talents come to the fore at an exhibition held in the United States in 2013 where they came second.
One of the most influential bakers, Tosan Jemide, also got into the Guinness Book of World Records with the tallest cake.
Nigerian bakers are fast becoming significant drivers in the food sector of the economy, as most of them charge as high as N100,000 or even more to make a cake. So they smile to the bank regularly.
Some also add novelty to their business through organising different exhibitions and trainings where they pass on new knowledge to both experienced and up-and-coming bakers.
There seems to be cordiality among these bakers who always come together during exhibitions to display their savoir faire.
The cake industry also has different sectors whereby specialisation and division of labour take place. For instance, some are basically fine artists, some sugar-crafters, other designers, and the rest bakers. There are also the importers of baking equipment that are not available here.
Some of the practitioners, who are from different walks of lives but veered into cake-making due to passion and other reasons, always have good tales to tell of their success.
Their success is also a function of the population and high demand of their products in Nigeria.
Many of the practitioners, intuitively, let their profession or field of study rub off on the industry. The likes of Edith Ozumba of Acabado Cakes, who left Chemical Engineering for cake-baking, also made Nigerian weather-friendly fondants. Likewise, Adebayo Olowu, a Rivers State-based pharmacist, created a locally-made sugar-craft decorating rolling pin of different designs.
In a way, the Nigerian cake industry has made good progress to a level where foreigners now travel to participate in some of the various exhibitions across the country.
Yetunde Ogunbiyi, a British who came all the way from the United Kingdom, to attend a training held during the Kogsy Sugar-craft Exhibition said she loves Nigerian style of elaborate cake and its décor, adding that several cakes and other baking equipment she saw in Nigeria are not available in the UK.
“I came specifically to Nigeria to participate in this exhibition and I do not regret this decision because a lot of things I have seen here are not available in the UK. And I love Nigerian style of elaborate cakes. I love the way we do cakes here; it is very impressive. I have also learnt a lot in the training,” she said at the event.
Kogsy exhibition is usually organised by Kehinde Gbelee.
A Camerounian, Eleanor Akale, who saw the advert while in Nigeria when she came for a wedding, decided to come back to attend the exhibition.
Akale said the knowledge garnered at the event would level up her skill back home.
Her words: “I came into Nigeria basically because of the exhibition. With all I have seen so far, I am very impressed and I don’t think I have wasted my time to attend the event. That’s the reason I ensured that I put in for all the trainings.”
Further, the growing trend of festivities in the country, in a way, is a booster to bakers, as they are regular sought.
Speaking on the growing number of bakers in Nigeria, Eniye Okoye of ‘Just Cakes by Somchez’ said: “Lagos is big, and we all have our own clients all around; if you are good, they will source you out. So that is what makes a difference. We can have a million bakers; once you are good, people tend to seek you anytime. You must have an edge over a lot of people, and that is what will make clients come after you.”
Chineze Ibuoka, the chief executive officer of Honey Suckle also says the cake industry is so large that there will be no unhealthy rivalry.
She lamented the challenges of having to import some of the baking items which bakers spend fortunes on, especially when they are scarce, adding that some are even substandard or not suitable for Nigerian weather.