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By Merit Ibe
West Africa’s leading agro-industrial exhibition, agrofood Nigeria, is set to hold its 11th edition, promising an expansive international participation, more focus on investment, innovation and cross-border collaboration.
Organised by fairtrade Messe, the 2026 edition which will hold at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island Lagos, is expected to attract thousands of decision-makers and industry professionals from Nigeria and across West Africa.
The exhibition spans the full agrofood value chain, including agriculture, food and beverage technology, food ingredients, packaging and finished food products.
According to the organisers, the event will host more than 100 exhibitors from 14 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, marking the most extensive global participation in the exhibition’s history.
Confirmed countries include Belgium, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The event’s growing international footprint underscores its strategic role in facilitating technology transfer, strengthening regional supply chains and supporting informed capital investment decisions in Nigeria’s fast-evolving agro-industrial landscape.
In a significant highlight, the Netherlands has been named Guest of Honour for 2026 after eight consecutive years of active engagement.
The Netherlands Pavilion, coordinated by the Netherlands Consulate-General in Lagos, will feature around 20 Dutch companies showcasing advanced solutions in horticulture, seed technologies, greenhouse systems, agrologistics and climate-smart innovations.
Other national pavilions will also feature prominently. A joint Belgium–Flanders pavilion organised by Flanders Investment & Trade will present premium horticultural and value-added food products.
The German Pavilion, supported by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity alongside the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association and AUMA, will showcase advanced “Made in Germany” processing and packaging technologies, including solutions from industry leaders such as GEA Group and Krones AG.
China will field more than 20 exhibitors covering mechanisation and packaging systems, while India’s participation will spotlight premium agricultural commodities, including high-quality Basmati rice and processing inputs.
South Africa’s Western Cape Pavilion will present export-oriented horticulture and processed food solutions, and, for the first time, the Food Export Association of the Midwest and Northeast USA will introduce American suppliers to Nigerian food traders. The 2026 edition will feature an optimised hall layout designed to improve visitor navigation and targeted engagement.
“Hall 1 will host food and beverage technology and packaging; Hall 2 will focus on agro and food hospitality; while Hall 3 will spotlight food ingredients with an emphasis on innovation, functionality and flavour.
Organisers said the exhibition will again deliver thousands of targeted business discussions, backed by active participation from Nigerian and international ministries, trade agencies and industry associations.
“Building on the success of its 2025 conference programme, which featured 42 sessions and 90 speakers, the 2026 edition is expected to offer expanded industry insights and enhanced networking opportunities.
“The event comes at a time when Nigeria continues to ramp up technological investments in its agrofood sector.
“According to the VDMA, Nigeria imported €265 million worth of food and packaging technology in 2024, making it West Africa’s largest importer in that segment.
“Packaging technology imports alone amounted to €121 million in the same year.
“Market projections further highlight the sector’s potential. Data from Statista estimates that Nigeria’s food market will reach approximately $233.53 billion in 2025, with an expected annual growth rate of 10.76 percent between 2025 and 2030”.
However, despite rising domestic production investments, figures from the World Trade Organisation show that Nigeria’s food imports stood at $6.1 billion in 2023, compared to $2.2 billion in food exports, underscoring persistent supply gaps and opportunities for value addition.
“With support from more than 20 international chambers, government ministries and industry associations, agrofood Nigeria 2026 is positioning itself as a strategic hub for bridging these gaps, connecting local agribusinesses with global solution providers and accelerating West Africa’s agro-industrial transformation.”
