Jollof Rice Was The Food For Prisoners— Lai Mohammed

Former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, has traced the origin of the popular West African dish, jollof rice, to Senegal.

Speaking on the matter, Mohammed said, “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 added some historical context, explaining, “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 also referenced the role of tourism authorities in clarifying the dish’s history, stating, “I think later the UN Tourism somebody came out on Wikipedia that the origin of jollof is Wollof.”

His remarks aim to set the record straight on the often-debated origins of jollof rice across West Africa.