By Abdallah el-Kurebe, Editor
One of Africa’s leading Agric concerns, Agra Innovate West Africa expo has concluded arrangements to host the agribusiness leaders and stakeholders from across the globe in Lagos late November.
The 2018 Expo with a theme: “Food Security: The role of finance in the creation of commercial opportunities for agricultural value chain stakeholder operations,” is organised by Informa and Contact Consulting Nigeria.
The fifth edition of the event has emphasis on thematic conference and seminars on topical issues.
According to a statement by Informa, this year’s Expo is a high-level platform for product exhibition, business-to-business linkage, deal making, networking, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, public-private collaboration and policy discourse among participants drawn from the agribusiness community, academia, advocacy groups, development practitioners, policy experts and high calibre government officials from within and outside Nigeria.
Over 5,000 exhibition visitors have registered online and attendance is free for online registered delegates.
Ekiti state governor Kayode Fayemi will be the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion that will attract other governors from across the country.
The Expo is intended to showcase how to turn agricultural prospects into prosperity as Fayemi, who has indicated that his government would make agriculture a top priority in Ekiti, addresses agribusiness stakeholders on potentials for agribusiness partnerships.
Confirmed speakers at the event included, Mr. Michel Deelen, Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Netherlands Embassy, who will deliver an address the audience on emerging potential partnership opportunities between Nigeria and the Netherlands; Vanessa Adams, Vice President, Country Support and Delivery, AGRA (Kenya) and Alex Elphistone, Programme Director, Adam Smith International.
Others are Fatima Ali Mohammed, CEO Brand Warrior; Ade Adefeko, VP OLAM (Nigeria); Nneka Eze, Country Director, Dalberg Global Advisors; and Dr. Olusegun Ojo, Director General, National Agricultural Seeds Council (Abuja).
Mrs Sarah Alade, former Deputy Governor of Central Bank Nigeria, will deliver this year’s keynote address.
At the last year’s Agra Innovate expo, Chief Onikepo Akande, former Minister of Trade and Investment, who gave a keynote address, emphasised the need for Nigerian and West African farmers to use modern agricultural tools to boost food production.
She expressed concerns over massive wastage of food after harvest, saying that although much food is being produced through the efforts of peasant farmers, so much goes into waste from the field to the table.
“After the success of last year’s Agra Innovate in Nigeria, we are ensuring that the upcoming exhibition will again have the great ambience all attendees have previously experienced. The seminars have consistently been the best in terms of layout, facilities and hospitality. It will be the one place this year where the whole agriculture industry will come together to learn and do business.” states Folusho Olaniyan, Programme Director of Agra Innovate West Africa.
