Nigerian internet sensation, Damilola Adeparusi, widely known as Chef Dammy, has officially become a trained professional chef after graduating from the Hospitality Business School (HBS) in Lagos.
The Ekiti-born chef, who shot to national fame after her 2023 cook-a-thon attempt, completed her Professional Culinary Art Chef Diploma on a full scholarship an opportunity made possible through Horecabb Mentors, owners of the institution.
Sharing her excitement on Instagram on Tuesday, Chef Dammy described the achievement as a dream come true.
“It’s safe to say Chef Dammy is officially a professional chef,” she wrote. “Grateful to have graduated from the best hospitality school in Nigeria, first in Africa and among the top 10 in the world.”
Overflowing with gratitude, she added, “Cheers to the grace of God and the favour of men that have brought me this far. God bless HBS. God bless my sponsors. God bless my supporters. God bless Nigeria. And God bless me.”
Earlier in February, the young chef shared a playful memory of wearing her school uniform for the first time, recalling how shy but excited she felt meeting other students.
“When I stepped out of the hostel, I started hearing, ‘Chef Dammy, you’re finally wearing the uniform, so fine!’ I ran back in to blush and take selfies,” she joked.
She also acknowledged the people and institutions that supported her journey, including food entrepreneur Oluwatobi Fletcher (Ofadaboy), HBS Group CEO Dr. Mekwuye Eric, and the Ekiti State Government.
According to Dr. Mekwuye, the scholarship supported by HBS, Ofadaboy, and the office of Ekiti First Lady Yemi Oyebanji includes five additional training courses designed to produce “complete and well-rounded chefs.”
For Chef Dammy, what began as a viral cooking marathon has now blossomed into a structured professional path, one she says she is excited to keep pursuing.
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