Exhibition To Drive Growth In Agrofood Sector

The upcoming Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria Exhibition is expected to drive growth in the agrofood, plastics, printing and packaging sector.

The ninth agrofood and plastprintpack Nigeria Exhibition organised by fairtrade Messe is coming up on March 26 to 28, 2024 in Lagos state will attract participation of no fewer than 100 world-class exhibitors and 17 world leaders.

Senior project manager, fairtrade Messe, Freyja Detjen stated this at a pre-media and stakeholders’ pre-exhibition meet-up held in Lagos state.

Detjen said with packaging technology amounting to €363 million in 2022, Nigeria stood as Africa’s second-largest investor, trailing South Africa with €381 million and Egypt with €319 million.

She stated that Nigeria’s food production had witnessed a remarkable surge of 39.6 per cent in recent years, from €26 billion in 2016 to €36.3 billion in 2020, saying this was projected to rise by 48 per cent between 2021 and 2024, from €42.3 billion to €62.6 billion, according to Euromonitor International.

She said in spite of the significant investments in local food production, Nigeria’s food imports stood at $6.9 billion in 2022, positioning the nation as one of Africa’s foremost food importers.

“Over 100 world-class exhibitors from Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Tunisia, Türkiye, and Ukraine, showcasing tailored products and solutions for the Nigerian market.

“With €143 million in 2022, Nigeria emerges as the second-largest investor in plastics technology in Africa, showcasing an annual growth rate of 17.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022.

“Nigerian imports of printing and paper processing technology have surged by 17 per cent annually, reaching €92 million in 2022, securing Nigeria’s position as the second-largest investor in sub-Saharan Africa.

“Nigeria leads in packaging technology investments in Africa with €183 million in 2022, surpassing South Africa with €175 million and Egypt with €162 million,” she said.

Detjen said the ninth agrofood and plastprintpack Nigeria 2024 would be the largest ever, saying that global technology leaders from 17 countries would attend the three-day conference.

According to her, building on the highly successful momentum of the eighth edition in 2023, the organisers are proud to announce the elevated standards set for the upcoming ninth edition.

“With an unwavering commitment to excellence, every aspect of the event has been meticulously enhanced to deliver an unparalleled experience, surpassing previous benchmarks.”

She said the event would be organised by the German trade show specialists, fairtrade Messe, adding that the international exhibition and conference was set to unfold pioneering global innovations for Nigeria’s agrofood and plastprintpack industry.

President, Organization for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa, Alexander Isong said the event would offer opportunities for companies to purchase agricultural equipment at affordable prices.