“Jollof Rice Was Food for Prisöners,” Says Former Minister Lai Mohammed, Tracing Dish to Senegal

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has provided a historical lesson on the origins of the celebrated West African staple, jollof rice, tracing it definitively to Senegal.

Speaking on the topic, Mohammed clarified the linguistic and cultural roots. “When you look at the origin of jollof, it’s actually from the word Wollof and it’s Senegalese, and the people don’t understand the origin of jollof,” he stated.

He added a surprising historical detail about the dish’s original purpose. “Jollof rice was actually that food that was prepared for prisoners, ‘cos it was that food that was put in one plate, oil, salt, you know, and everything. So really everything of jollof is Wollof.”

Mohammed noted that this historical clarification has been supported by international bodies, adding, “I think later the UN Tourism somebody came out on Wikipedia that the origin of jollof is Wollof.”

His remarks aim to settle the long-standing and often heated regional debate over the true origins of jollof rice, firmly attributing its creation to the Wolof people of Senegal.