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Former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has stated that Jollof rice originated from Senegal and was initially prepared as food for prisoners.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, December 23, Mohammed, who served in the Buhari-led administration, traced the origin of the popular West African dish to the Wolof people of Senegal.
According to him, the name “Jollof” was derived from “Wolof,” adding that the meal was originally prepared as a one-plate dish for prisoners.
“When you look at the origin of jollof, it is actually from the word ‘Wolof’ from Senegal. Jollof rice was prepared for prisoners because it was food served in one plate — oil, salt, and everything together. So the origin of jollof is Wolof,” he said.
Mohammed further claimed that the dish later gained international recognition through a United Nations tourism reference, which he said was published on Wikipedia and identified the Wolof people as the originators of Jollof rice.
