IDYJAY Kitchen Culinary School, one of the leading catering institutions in Akwa Ibom State, awarded certificates of participation to 27 students of the 2026 Batch ‘A’ intake last Friday, April 17.
The colourful ceremony which attracted parents and friends of the graduating students took place at the school premises in Uyo, the state capital.
The Proprietor of the school, Mrs Idara Emmanuel Okon spoke glowingly on the vision that led to the establishment of the institute in the state.
Mrs Okon, who graduated from the University of Uyo as a food scientist, said that she was moved by the gruesome death of Iniubong Umoren in 2022, who became a victim in the hands of a bad friend, who promised her a job opportunity but ended up taking her life at a prime age.
According to Mrs Okon, Iniubong, a graduate of the University, would not have fallen victim if she had been doing something productive. So, she decided to create an opportunity where someone can make a career and become self-employed.
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Going beyond the career, Mrs Okon, who is the managing director of the school, added, “The vision of establishing the institute was not only to train people to become entrepreneurs but also to produce and serve what is healthy for society.
“Here we have enough skills that we train our students in a lot of things. We train them on food safety, we train them on food hazards, we train them on food presentations, we train them on food quality and standards so that when they go into the labour market they can independently, guided by standards, produce what is healthy for society.
“In this field, certificates do not really count, it is what you can do on your own when you graduate that counts most because if you go for a job interview, you will be interviewed practically on what you can do.
“The certificate which certifies that the bearer has attained a professional training is just 20 per cent worth, while what you can do professionally accounts for 80 per cent of who you are,” the MD emphasised.
She charged the graduating students to remain the ambassadors of the school wherever they find themselves by maintaining the standards.
“As you are graduating today into the labour market, I charge you to maintain your quality and standards. Don’t manipulate your way because when you manipulate your way, you are manipulating the consumers’ health. Ensure that you put taste first in all your productions. Above all, reference God as the ultimate in knowledge to ensure success,” the MD said.
As a food scientist, she used the opportunity to advise Nigerians and indeed the general public on the dangers of consuming unhealthy foods and drinks.
According to her, eating healthy food is not costly but treating ailments caused by eating unhealthy food or drinking unhealthy drinks is costly and even more.
She argued that cancer-related aliments in the country are simply caused by the random eating of bad foods and drinks by Nigerians.
“I am urging Nigerians and indeed the general public to try as much as possible not to eat food randomly, even water because what you take in will either make or destroy you if it is wrongly taken.
“Increased incidences of cancer issues, such as cancer of the head, cancer of the lung, cancer of the eyes, etc. that are being reported in the hospitals are simply because of what you eat into your system.
“If you eat unhealthy foods or drink unhealthy drinks, you will end up speeding up your death by having a whole lot of health issues as a result of destroying your system.
“It is not actually costly to eat a healthy food or drink a healthy drink but it’s costly, even more to be in the hospital to treat yourself of one ailment or another. So you can save yourself all that by eating and drinking what is healthy,” she advised.
In a valedictory speech, outgoing Batch ‘A’ Class Representative, Miss Wonderful-love Israel Emmanuel, who described IDYJAY Kitchen Culinary School as the best place to be, expressed joy that their periods of training at the school had been fruitful as they now have a beautiful future to hold onto.
“Today marks the end of our beautiful journey and the beginning of a fruitful future. When we first stepped into IDYJAY Kitchen Culinary School, we came in with a passion and curiosity to learn a trade that would empower us to become entrepreneurs.
“Today, we have a deeper understanding of the art and science of food. We have learned that cooking is not just about the ingredients and recipes but about patience, discipline, resilience and love to create meals that bring joy to others,” she noted.
She expressed gratitude to the management of the school as well as their tutors for the impactful knowledge gained.
IDYJAY Kitchen Culinary School, established in 2022, and operating in partnership with Food Safety, London Professional School, is one of the best catering schools in Akwa Ibom State.
Highlights of the event included exhibitions of products made by the graduating students and the presentation of the certificates of competence to them by the MD of the school, Mrs Idara Emmanuel Okon, assisted by her husband.
