Gigi’s Kitchen, led by Ghanaian chef Gina Abbam-Baidoo, has emerged winner of the second edition of the Onga West African Jollof Battle, securing the top prize for Ghana.

The highly competitive culinary contest brought together representatives from five West African countries — Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Sierra Leone — to showcase their skills and compete for the coveted regional jollof title.

Chef Gigi, as Gina Abbam-Baidoo is popularly known, won the regional battle after emerging victorious in Ghana’s national selection competition, where she defeated nine other finalists to earn the opportunity to represent the country.

Her victory means Ghana takes home the competition’s cash prize of US$5,000, with Chef Gigi being crowned the winner of the Onga West African Jollof Battle – West African Edition 2.

The participating contestants were also presented with Onga products as part of the competition.

The event, organised by Onga, sought to celebrate the rich culinary traditions of West Africa by bringing together talented chefs to put their unique interpretations of the region’s beloved jollof rice to the test.

Chef Gigi’s victory adds another notable achievement to her growing culinary profile and further places Gigi’s Kitchen on the regional stage for its promotion of Ghanaian cuisine.

Following her win, Chef Gigi expressed her pride in representing Ghana, with the winning message on the official competition artwork stating: “We may be quiet but we’re fearless.”

The victory also marks a strong showing for Ghana in the regional jollof rivalry, as Chef Gigi successfully cooked her way past representatives from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to claim the ultimate prize.

The Onga West African Jollof Battle is designed to celebrate food, culture and culinary creativity across the sub-region, while giving chefs an opportunity to showcase the distinctive flavours and cooking traditions of their respective countries.