Chef Dammy Celebrates New Milestone As She Officially Becomes A Certified Professional Chef

Nigerian culinary enthusiast Damilola Adeparusi, widely known as Chef Dammy, has reached a major milestone in her career after completing her studies at the Lagos-based Hospitality Business School (HBS). The achievement marks her formal transition into the ranks of professionally trained chefs.

The young cook, who gained national attention during her June 2023 cook-a-thon attempt, wrapped up her Professional Culinary Art Chef Diploma through a full scholarship made possible by Horecabb Mentors, the institution’s proprietors.

Sharing the news on Instagram on Tuesday, Chef Dammy expressed excitement over her accomplishment, noting, “It’s safe to say Chef Dammy is officially a professional chef. Grateful to have graduated from the best hospitality school in Nigeria, first in Africa and among the top 10 in the world.”

She also used the moment to acknowledge the support she believes carried her through her studies: “Cheers to the grace of God and the favor 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.”

Reflecting on her early days at the school in February 2025, Chef Dammy recalled the excitement of wearing her culinary school uniform for the first time, saying, “My first time in school uniform as a proper pro. Chef in the making.”

She humorously added how shy she felt stepping out in the outfit, explaining, “I ran back into the hostel to go and blush… when I stepped out of the hostel, I started hearing, ‘Chef Dammy, you’re finally wearing the uniform, so fine!’ So I ran back inside, took selfies, and started blushing again.”

Her appreciation extended to food entrepreneur Oluwatobi Fletcher (popularly known as Ofadaboy), HBS Group CEO Dr. Mekwuye Eric, and the Ekiti State Government, all of whom played significant roles in making her training possible.

According to Dr. Eric, the scholarship package—supported by HBS, Ofadaboy, and the Ekiti State Government with the backing of First Lady Yemi Oyebanji—included an additional set of five specialized courses created to produce “complete and well-rounded chefs.”