West Africa Food-security Initiative for Launch in Lagos

As West Africa intensifies efforts to strengthen food security and reduce reliance on imported food, a new international agribusiness platform, Growtech West Africa, is set to launch in Lagos.
Scheduled to hold from 26–28 January 2027, the launch comes at a pivotal moment for the region’s agriculture and food sector.

West Africa currently spends more than $50 billion annually on food imports, while demand continues to rise due to rapid population growth, urbanisation, climate pressures, and shifting consumption patterns.

Nigeria continues to play a critical role in the region’s agricultural transformation, supported by its vast arable land, large agricultural workforce, and growing investments in food production, processing, and supply chain infrastructure.

At the same time, governments and private sector stakeholders across the region are accelerating efforts to improve agricultural productivity, modernise farming systems, strengthen local food production, and increase regional self-sufficiency.

According to OECD estimates, West Africa’s food economy is projected to exceed $480 billion by 2030, positioning the region among the world’s fastest-growing agricultural markets.

Against this backdrop, Growtech West Africa aims to serve as a platform connecting international expertise, technology, investment, and innovation with one of the world’s most dynamic emerging agriculture markets.

With its roots in Antalya, Growtech has continued to expand its international footprint across Dubai, Italy, and now Lagos, Nigeria, reflecting the growing global demand for agricultural innovation and cross-border industry collaboration. Organised by Informa, a leading international B2B events, market intelligence, and academic publishing group, Growtech West Africa represents the brand’s latest expansion into a high-growth agricultural market and aims to support the future of sustainable agriculture and food production across the region.

Ahmed Khalil, Growtech Middle East Director, commented: “West Africa stands at a defining moment for its agriculture and food sector. The region has the land, population, resources, and ambition to significantly strengthen food security and local production capabilities over the coming decade. Growtech West Africa is designed to support that transformation by connecting global innovation with local market needs, while creating opportunities for investment, partnerships, and long-term sector growth.”

He added, “The expansion of the Growtech Events into West Africa reflects the growing importance of the region within global agriculture. As countries across West Africa focus on reducing food import dependency and building more resilient agricultural systems, there is increasing demand for modern technologies, controlled-environment agriculture, irrigation, livestock solutions, aquaculture development, and knowledge exchange.”

Engin Er, Exhibition Director of Growtech Events, also stated: “Growtech has evolved into an international platform supporting agricultural advancement across multiple high-growth regions. Following the success of our events in Türkiye and other international markets, West Africa represents a natural and highly strategic next step. The market potential is enormous, and there is a strong appetite for innovation, collaboration, and practical solutions that can help improve productivity and sustainability across the agricultural value chain.”

The inaugural edition of Growtech West Africa is expected to attract more than 5,000 industry professionals, alongside 100+ exhibitors, international country pavilions, and 50+ international speakers from across the agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, food production, agri-tech, irrigation, and supply chain sectors.

The exhibition will span a broad cross-section of the agricultural ecosystem, including seeds and seedlings, plant nutrition and protection, irrigation, greenhouse technologies and controlled-environment agriculture, agricultural machinery and precision farming, livestock and poultry solutions, aquaculture and fisheries, and food processing, amongst others.

A major component of the event will be the Food Security and Sustainability Conference, which will bring together policymakers, investors, development organisations, agribusiness leaders, researchers, and technology providers to address some of the region’s most pressing agricultural challenges and opportunities.

Discussions will focus on reducing food import dependency, increasing local production capacity, improving yield efficiency, climate resilience, sustainable water use, agricultural financing, and strengthening long-term food system resilience across the region.

The event also aligns with broader development priorities across West Africa, where governments are increasingly positioning agriculture as a key driver of economic diversification, employment generation, rural development, and long-term food resilience.

As the Growtech brand continues its international expansion, Growtech West Africa reflects a broader vision of connecting high-growth agricultural markets with international expertise, advanced technologies, and strategic investment opportunities.

Participation opportunities are now open for exhibitors, sponsors, strategic partners, and industry stakeholders seeking to engage with the rapidly expanding West African agriculture market.