Nestle Nigeria has concluded plans for teenagers between the ages 13 and 17 years to test their culinary skills in its 2010 edition of `MAGGI Cook for Mama Competition`. The competition which opens April 27 and closes May 17, 2010, gives all contestants equal opportunity to display their cooking skills and win fabulous prizes.

Uduak Bassey, category business manager-culinary, Nestle Nigeria, explained that the competition is organised to celebrate mothers` tireless efforts in nurturing the family and foster the timeless emotional bond between mother and the child. Bassey explained that MAGGI acknowledges the importance of the family as an essential unit of the nation and the woman`s crucial role as a home-maker and by extension nation builder. “MAGGI, having been the culinary partner of mothers for over 100 years all over the world, recognises this fact and we are ready to celebrate them”, she enthused.

Martin Woolnough, managing director, Nestle Nigeria, said that the company also appreciated the efforts of both secondary schools and home economics teachers who fine-tune their student`s culinary skills during home economics practicals. He added that the home economics departments of the schools and teachers whose students qualify for the regional competition and grand finale would be proud winners of gas cookers, deep freezer and a set of stainless steel cookware and dishes respectively. “It is our own way of appreciating them for playing an important role in the training and development of our youth,” he told the magazine.

The competition draws its contestants from secondary school students in Lagos, Benin, Enugu, Gombe

and Kaduna. After two weeks of practice at the regional level, the first and second contestants at each of the five regional competitions automatically qualify for the grand finale of the competition in Lagos where they will be required to cook yam using variety of tecniques and several sauces. While the winner goes home with a deep freezer, state-of-the-art laptop computer, a cash prize of N300,000 and an all-expense paid three-day vacation to any West African country for both the winner and mother, the first runner-up and second runner-up would also win a Nintendo Wii, a computer game, gas cooker, a cash of N200,000 and a bedside refrigerator with a cash of N100,000 respectively. Aside from the star prizes, regional finalists will also receive consolation prizes ranging from sets of non-stick cookware; microwave oven, food processor, amongst others.

Each entry form is to be accompanied with 10 empty sachets of MAGGI Mix`py, a ginger and garlic seasoning, while the contestants indicate on the form why their mother is special.