REFORM TALKS with Enam Obiosio
I have always believed that conferences and exhibitions have an important place in the economic life of a country. They create space for ideas, bring experts together, and expose industries to new technologies and partnerships. That is why I view the upcoming Agrofood Nigeria 2026 exhibition not with scepticism but with cautious expectation.
The organisers of the event, Fairtrade Messe, say the eleventh edition of the Agrofood Fair will foster opportunities and collaboration for growth across Nigeria’s agricultural sector. The exhibition, scheduled to hold from March 24 to March 26 at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, has been described as West Africa’s leading annual business platform for the agrofood industry.
I take that claim seriously because agriculture is not just another sector in Nigeria. Agriculture sits at the centre of our national survival. It feeds our population, employs millions of Nigerians, provides raw materials for industry, and holds the promise of diversifying our export base. Any platform that claims to strengthen the agricultural ecosystem deserves attention.
The Exhibition Director of Fairtrade Messe, Freyja Detjen, explained that the Agrofood Nigeria Fair is designed to bring together professionals from across the region. According to her, the platform creates a community of stakeholders and provides access to international expertise that many participants would otherwise have to travel abroad to encounter.
I find that argument compelling. Nigeria must constantly expose its agricultural ecosystem to global knowledge, technologies, and best practices. The modern agrofood industry is increasingly driven by innovation in processing, packaging, logistics, and digital supply chains.
Detjen also emphasised that the exhibition is not merely about promotion but about education. She said the event provides discussions around solutions for Nigeria’s food security challenges, including the persistent problem of post-harvest losses. That statement goes to the heart of Nigeria’s agricultural dilemma.
Nigeria produces enormous quantities of food every year, yet a significant portion of that production never reaches consumers because of poor storage, weak logistics, and inadequate processing capacity. Post-harvest losses remain one of the silent tragedies of our agricultural system.
If platforms such as Agrofood Nigeria can stimulate serious conversations around these structural problems, then they are performing a valuable service. But I believe something more must happen after the conversations end.
Nigeria has become extremely active in organising conferences, summits, and exhibitions around agriculture. These events often produce powerful speeches, well written communiqués, and ambitious declarations about the future of the sector. What concerns me is what happens after those events.
Too often the communiqués disappear into archives. The recommendations remain within conference reports. The energy generated during the discussions fades once the exhibition halls are dismantled. That is the gap Nigeria must close.
The real value of events like Agrofood Nigeria will not lie only in the discussions that take place inside conference rooms. Their true value will lie in how the conclusions from those discussions are translated into practical action.
When policymakers, farmers, manufacturers, technology providers, and investors gather in the same space, something important happens. Different parts of the agricultural value chain begin to understand each other’s challenges and opportunities.
The Director General of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Sola Obadimu, recognised this when he praised the organisers of the exhibition. He described the event as a meaningful initiative that contributes to national economic development.
Obadimu also emphasised the strategic importance of agriculture and food industries to Nigeria’s economy. According to him, these sectors are central to food security, employment generation, industrial development, export diversification, and poverty reduction. Those are not exaggerations.
Agriculture represents one of the few sectors capable of delivering broad based economic inclusion in Nigeria. It connects rural farmers with urban markets. It supplies raw materials to manufacturing industries. It creates employment opportunities across multiple stages of the value chain.
But the sector can only perform these functions effectively if the ideas generated at industry gatherings are turned into operational programmes.
This is why I believe every major agricultural conference in Nigeria should leave behind something more concrete than a closing ceremony communiqué.
For example, if stakeholders at Agrofood Nigeria identify technology gaps in food processing, that discussion should lead to structured partnerships between Nigerian manufacturers and international equipment providers.
If the conference highlights the problem of post harvest losses, then the recommendations should influence investment decisions in storage infrastructure and cold chain logistics.
If the event brings together investors and agribusiness operators, then financing frameworks should emerge that allow those conversations to become real agricultural projects.
In other words, conferences must become starting points for implementation rather than final destinations for discussion. The manufacturing sector clearly understands this connection between discussion and action.
The Director General of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Segun Ajayi Kadir, represented at the briefing by Salami Musa, explained that the Agrofood Nigeria exhibition provides a link between Nigerian manufacturers and global technology suppliers. This connection is critical.
Modern manufacturing, especially in food processing, requires continuous access to advanced technologies. Equipment efficiency, product quality standards, and packaging innovations determine whether locally produced food products can compete in domestic and international markets.
If Agrofood Nigeria helps Nigerian manufacturers acquire knowledge about global processing technologies, then the exhibition has already begun to contribute to industrial development. But once again the challenge will lie in follow through.
Technology exposure must lead to technology adoption. Conversations about innovation must lead to investment in equipment and production systems.
Nigeria cannot afford to allow the ideas discussed at agricultural exhibitions to remain theoretical.
The organisers have also announced that the Netherlands will serve as the guest of honour at the 2026 edition of the exhibition. The Dutch agrofood sector is widely recognised as one of the most advanced agricultural systems in the world.
That partnership offers Nigeria a valuable opportunity to learn from a country that has mastered the integration of technology, research, and efficient farming systems. But learning must be intentional.
Nigeria must identify the lessons that are relevant to its own agricultural conditions and develop mechanisms for applying those lessons locally.
Agricultural exhibitions can play an important role in initiating that learning process. They expose stakeholders to new possibilities and introduce them to partners who possess the knowledge and technology required to transform production systems. Yet the responsibility does not end there.
Policymakers must pay attention to the conclusions that emerge from these platforms. Financial institutions must be willing to support viable agribusiness investments that arise from industry dialogues. Research institutions must collaborate with farmers and manufacturers to adapt global innovations to local realities. When these elements come together, conferences become catalysts for economic transformation.
I therefore do not see Agrofood Nigeria 2026 merely as another exhibition on the Nigerian events calendar. I see it as a test of whether the country is prepared to turn agricultural conversations into measurable outcomes.
Nigeria needs platforms that stimulate collaboration and innovation. But it also needs discipline in ensuring that the communiqués and recommendations produced at those platforms are converted into programmes that benefit farmers, manufacturers, and consumers.
If the ideas generated at Agrofood Nigeria lead to new investments in processing plants, improved storage infrastructure, stronger technology partnerships, and more efficient agricultural supply chains, then the exhibition will have justified its importance. Nigeria’s agricultural sector does not lack ideas.
What it needs now is the determination to turn those ideas into visible progress that every Nigerian can feel.
