Nigerian and German stakeholders look to increase business development and knowledge exchange in agro-based investments at the 10th edition of Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria. According to a statement from the organiser, Fairtrade Messe, the Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria event marks a decade of innovation and growth in Nigeria’s agro-food, plastics, printing, and packaging sectors. Fairtrade Messe unveiled Germany as the Guest of Honour at the coming trade fair, stating, “Reflecting the partnership between Nigeria and Germany, this designation highlights German expertise in these sectors and provides opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and business development between German and Nigerian stakeholders.” The organisers praised the 2024 event, which was attended by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and announced that the 2025 edition is scheduled for March in Lagos. According to Fairtrade Messe, there will be no fewer than 100 top exhibitors from over 15 countries in the 2025 exhibition, with official national pavilions from China, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Key ministries at both federal and Lagos State levels will participate actively in the event. The organisers added that there will be a three-day conference with over 70 speakers delivering more than 20 sessions, a banking and finance segment featuring keynote speakers, panel discussions, and an investment pitch competition. Further, Fairtrade Messe revealed that the West African Cold Chain Summit and Exhibition will be co-located with Agrofood and Plastprintpack Nigeria, strengthening the partnership between the trade fair organiser and the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa. Nigeria’s investment in food and packaging technology stood at €304m in 2023, ranking as Africa’s second-largest investor, behind South Africa (€398m) and ahead of Egypt (€281m), according to data from the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). Despite local investments, food imports reached $6.1bn in 2023, positioning Nigeria as one of Africa’s top food importers. Meanwhile, the country’s food production value surged from €26bn in 2016 to €36.3bn in 2020 and was projected to rise to €62.6bn by 2024. In the plastics sector, Nigeria was Africa’s fourth-largest investor in 2023, with €134m in investments, growing at an annual rate of 13.9 per cent since 2016. The printing and paper processing sector also experienced a 17 per cent annual growth rate, with imports hitting €92m in 2022. Fairtrade Messe has participated in international trade fairs across Africa and the Middle East since 1991.