L-R: Vice President/Chairman Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry Trade Promotion Board, Engr. Leke Kupoluyi; Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc, Ravindra Singh Singhvi; Managing Director, fairtrade Messe, Paul Maerz; Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo (CON); President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Dr Emmanuel Ijewere and President, Organization for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), Alex Isong, at the opening day of the 8th edition of Nigeria agrofood and plastprintpack international conference held at the Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Tuesday, March 28, 2023.
8th International Agrofood and Plastprintpack Tradeshow Opens in Lagos: Showcases
Global Innovations for Crop Productivity and Food Security Across Africa
• Federal Government Advocates Intercontinental Collaboration for Food Security
and Economic Growth
• Germany, Nigeria, Others Evolve Lasting Solutions to Post-Harvest Loss (PHL) In Sub-
Saharan Africa at International Agrofood Trade Show
Lagos, Nigeria (28th March 2023) At the opening Day of the 8th edition of the
international agrofood & plastprintpack exhibition and conference, fairtrade, the
organiser and international trade show specialist, have emphasised the daunting
commerce influence Nigeria welds across the African market.
Citing key data insights in his opening remarks, the Managing Director of fairtrade Messe,
Paul März, stated that Nigeria is the largest continental investor- ahead of Egypt, South
Africa, Algeria, and Morocco – in food & packaging technology with an impressive €346
million investment record in 2021.
März noted that the country’s market leadership has spurred global technology
champions from 17 countries to visit and showcase adapted technologies and solutions
for the Nigerian and West African market in the fields of agriculture, food + beverage
processing, ingredients, plastics, printing, and packaging. The exhibiting countries
include Austria, Bulgaria, China, Côte d’Ivoire, Germany, France, India, Italy, Lebanon,
the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Türkiye, Taiwan, United
Kingdom, and the USA.
According to him, “Germany is once again participating with an official German Pavilion
presented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs in cooperation with the
Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) and supported by VDMA Food
Processing & Packaging Machinery.”
To shore up opportunities for more local content during the annual trade show and foster
intercontinental collaborations, leading exhibitors – Germany, Italy and Netherland have
indicated their readiness to collaborate with Nigeria in eradicating Post Harvest Losses
(PHL) across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), whilst boosting food security and bolstering
agricultural value chains.
While delivering a speech with the theme: “Delivering Food and Nutrition Security Through
Cold Chain In Africa,” at the 5th West African Cold Chain Summit and Exhibition (WACCSE
2023), the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of
Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, explained that
agriculture is arguably the most important sector in the Nigerian economy, because it is
a source of raw materials for the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,
employing 60% of Nigerian’s workforce, including many rural women, and contributing
almost 30% of the country’s GDP.
Adebayo stated that any improvement in the agricultural commodity value chains,
including addressing the reduction of post harvest losses (PHL) of perishables, is
fundamental and would have a positive impact on Nigeria and the larger African
economy.
“You will agree with me that output from this cold chain summit and exhibition is
auspicious for the wellbeing of Nigeria and Africa; with its goal of finding solution to post
harvest losses (PHL) in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, identified as one of the
major problems facing our agricultural sector.
Adebayo added, “Recent studies report PHL data as high as 60%, especially for food and
vegetables; resulting in low income for the producers and high price points for the
produce.”
In his own submission, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in
Nigeria, Mr Weert Börner said the German government is ready to support agrofood in
Nigeria to boost food security and expand innovations in the sub-sector.
The Consul-General stressed that the German government regards food security as one
of its key priorities locally and internationally, reiterating that elimination of PHL would be
key to food sufficiency in agriculture in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Alexander Isong, the President of the Organisation for
Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), rued that cold
chain as an industry has seen very little penetration into the economy, limiting its potential
to significantly revolutionalise agro-tech in Nigeria.
He said: “Cold chain has a multiplier effect on the economy which helps a country in
delivering on goods and services that are healthy, certified and helps in the storage and
transportation of what a country produces on its farms and safe transport of
pharmaceutical products to maintain their efficacy and potency.”
Other speakers include Mr. Jean-Michel Perret, Managing Director, Bureau Veritas
Nigeria; Dr Emmanuel Ijewere, President Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG), Ugo Boni,
Consul General, Italy and Her Excellency, Dr Sadiya Umar Farouq, Honourable Minister of
Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
Local and International Institutional Presence at the Trade Show
The opening ceremony of the fairtrade conference and exhibition was well attended by
the industry’s key stakeholders.
• FMARD – Federal Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
• FMITI – Federal Nigerian Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment
• The Federal Ministry for Health
• Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social
Development, FMHDS
• Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria & ECOWAS
• AHK Nigeria Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria
• APO Africa Packaging Organisation
• DLG – German Agricultural Society
• ELAN Equipment & Leasing Association of Nigeria
• German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action & German Consulate
General Lagos
• IOPN Institute of Packaging Nigeria
• Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture
• LCCI Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• NABC Netherlands Africa Business Council
• NABG Nigeria Agribusiness Group
• NACCIMA Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and
Agriculture
• NAFDAC National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
• NIFST – Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology
• OTACCWA – Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West
Africa
• VDMA German Engineering Federation
Fairtrade’s Charitable Engagements in Nigeria
Whilst appreciating guests and visits for their continued support of the trade show, the
Managing Director of fairtrade messe, Paul März also expressed the organisation’s
willingness to maintain its long-standing cooperation with SOS Children’s Village, Nigeria.
fairtrade supports SOS Children’s Villages in different countries around the world.
In Nigeria, since 2018, the trade show specialists donate all proceeds from visitor entrance
fees to the Village and continually promotes them to its international partners for
charitable engagements.
He therefore encouraged exhibitors and visitors alike to get in touch with SOS Children
Village during the show and to contribute to their good cause.