When you think of fine dining in Nigeria, one name comes to mind: Chef Stone. Born Abiola Akanji, Stone’s journey into the culinary world began out of curiosity. He wanted to understand how flavours worked and why food could make people feel something deeper than hunger, so cooking became his language. It allowed him to tell stories about culture, memory, and possibility. He was driven by the belief that Nigerian cuisine deserved the same respect and global presence as any other cuisine, and that belief still guides him. He is the founder of Red Dish Chronicles, a culinary school which came about after asking himself why African chefs need to leave the continent to receive world-class training.  He wanted to build a school that could stand on the international level and give young chefs the tools to dream big. Today, Red Dish Chronicles has trained thousands of chefs, becoming one of the largest culinary schools in Africa.

Read Chef Stone’s inspiring story on pages 8 to 10.

Most fashion lovers would have seen that Pantone has released its colour of the year for 2026, and that’s Cloud Dancer. We show you how to wear this colour in our fashion pages. Scroll to pages 4 and 5; you don’t want to be left out.

The new year is upon us, and as usual, people make their resolutions. Whether it’s a fitness resolution, a financial goal, or even a religious one, it’s important to take it one day at a time; that way, you don’t lose interest in your goal. Here’s wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Until next week, enjoy your read.