By Oludele Taiwo
From March 28 to 30, 2023, global technology leaders from 11 countries are expected at the Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria, to showcase adapted technologies and solutions for the Nigerian and West African markets in the fields of agriculture, food and beverage processing, ingredients, plastics, printing and packaging.
The fair, which is the eight of its kind, organised by the German trade show specialists’ fairtrade, will be held at the Landmark Centre in Lagos, Victoria Island.
The Project Manager, fairtrade Messe GmbH & Co. KG, Freyja Detjen, while addressing newsmen in Lagos, said that exhibitors are expected from Belgium, China, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Nigeria, Taiwan, Turkey, Tunisia and Spain and that one of the traditional highlights at Agrofood and Plastprintpack, Nigeria this year, is that 21 German exhibitors will be present.
She stated that the German Pavilion is presented by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and supported by the German Trade Fair Association AUMA and the German Engineering Federation, VDMA.
While giving the fact and figures on the Nigerian agrofood and plastprintpack market, she noted that with €346 million, Nigeria in 2021 for the first time became the largest investor in food and packaging technology in Africa, ahead of Egypt (€341 million) and South Africa (€293 million).
She also said that Nigeria’s food production had grown by 39.6 percent in recent years, from €26bn in 2016 to €36.3bn in 2020 and is expected to rise by 48 percent between 2021 and 2024, from €42.3bn to €62.6bn according to Euromonitor International. Speaking further, she said a top level three-day conference will run alongside the exhibition and that key topics will cover beverage production and ingredients, supply chain evaluation, finance and others.
“C-level speakers representing market-leading companies and institutions such as Diageo, First City Monument Bank, Access Bank, Sterling Bank, Bühler Group, Psaltry International, Simply Green, JR Africa, Niji Group, Conversations Africa, Farm Republic, among others will deliver educational and entertaining sessions of the highest quality, promising immediate benefits for the audience in their day-to-day business. She noted that as with the previous events, a three-day Packaging Masterclass would also take place parallel to the exhibition, organised by the African Packaging Organisation (APO); a member of the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
She added that the target is to teach how companies can leverage food processing and packaging for retail trade through an Executive Certificate Course in Packaging Materials and Food Packaging Technology. Also, the President of Africa Packaging Organisation (APO), Ahmed Alex Omah, said the organisation was delighted to partner fairtrade to deepen participants’ knowledge in packaging materials and food packaging technology.
He said during the three-day programme, experts would lead discussions on topics such as sustainable packaging innovations, the need for standardised production and processing methods, access to finance and much more.
