Business, Featured

By Anthony Isibor

MORE than 140 Exhibitors from various parts of the world gathered on Tuesday in Lagos for the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Agrofood and Plastprintpack conference and exhibition.

The event is the meeting of all stakeholders in the Nigerian agro/food processing industry as well as international partners for the exchange of ideas on world best practices.

There are also exhibitors of finished food products and beverages as well as processing machines by both indigenous and foreign companies.

Some officials of the companies at the event told Realnews that they were confident that this year’s event would lead to strategic partnerships with other similar business as well as lead to improved sales.

For instance, Henry Tunde, a sales representative for E-One Machinery and Services Co. Ltd and one of the exhibitors at the event told Realnews that for them, the event is a marketing strategy.

He said: “Look around you, everyone is here to either sell or buy. We are here to sell and we are dealers in all kinds of liquid packaging machines. What we have here (pointing to a gigantic equipment) is a water packaging machine. 

He stated that the event, which is held each year, has also helped the company to meet other companies in the field, from around the globe and exchange ideas as well as meet new potential clients.

This year’s event, which is the 9th edition, also marked the launch of the Mill for Nutrition programme initiated by the Tecnoserve and sponsored by the Melinda and Gates Foundation in its fight against malnutrition by encouraging the reintroduction of micronutrients lost during the process of production.

Some of the dignitaries present at the event include former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Weert Borner; German Consul General in Nigeria, Wouter Plomp; Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Maurizio Ferri; Trade Commissioner for Italian Trade Agency, Prof Kehinde Olusola, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta FUNAAB.

Others are representatives of the federal ministries of Agriculture and health, the representative of Standard Organisation of Nigeria, the representative of National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, as well as Chief Executive Officers of food processing companies.

Declaring the fair open, former President Obasanjo noted that food security is highly critical for the development of any nation.

He also called on all stakeholders to glamorise agriculture so as to make it attractive to young people.

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