From the Netherlands to Nigeria: discover the best of Dutch agriculture at the Agro Food Fair
With Nigeria’s rapidly growing food, agro and horticulture sectors, Dutch private sector products and services could assist these sectors to produce enough fresh and high-quality food. As a platform to strengthen the relationship between the two countries and seek potential partnerships in agri-food and horticulture, a Dutch pavilion was set up at the Nigeria Agrofood trade show and conference held in Lagos.
The international trade fair and expert conference “8th Agrofood PlastPrintPack Nigeria” took place from 28th to 30th March 2023 in the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Netherlands Pavilion- Farming The Future
The Consulate General of The Netherlands together with NABC and East West Trade Consulting organized a Dutch pavilion to showcase Dutch technology and expertise in the area of agriculture. Twelve companies and organizations from The Netherlands participated in the pavilion themed ‘The Netherlands: Farming The Future,’ to exhibit various Dutch private sector products and services. The Agro exhibition area for the Netherlands pavilion allowed for various companies to exhibit as well as to organise seminars.
Aside hosting the hundreds of visitors who passed through the Dutch pavillion, there were series of workshops and seminars in connection with Farming the future- Four different workshops and one seminar where key stakeholders met and shared knowledge on various topics including Empowering agriculture through solar, Seed sector development: The importance of improved inputs in developing the horticultural sector, Access to finance for climate-smart horticultural innovations in South-West Nigeria, Food system transformation and feeding the cities.
Opening message by Deputy CG
Leonie Van Der Stijl, Deputy Consul General of the Embassy of The Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lagos, emphasized how Nigeria has the largest market for food items and consumer goods in Africa yet seems unable to meet the food demand despite that the agriculture sector holds 24% of GDP. Considering the growth opportunities the agriculture sector holds, there is a need for agriculture innovations and collaboration of like-minds to tackle the different challenges facing agriculture in Nigeria. Systems and solutions can only be designed in Nigeria and by Nigerians. The Netherlands looks to partner in the co-creative process by helping with roadmaps and sharing honest lessons learned and piloting possible solutions. The Dutch are ready to partner with all stakeholders – public, private, NGOs and knowledge institutes.
The pavilion served as a valuable platform for strengthening the relationship between the Netherlands and Nigeria, and exploring potential partnerships in the rapidly growing food and agriculture sector.
Sessions from the fair
Below are some images capturing moments from the fair and seminars
Conclusion
The Dutch Pavilion at the Nigerian Agrofood Trade show and Conference in Lagos was a resounding success, with participants expressing their satisfaction with the worskshops and discussions. The focus on designing and sustainable food system by engaging young people in the conversation was particularly well-received. The pavilion served as a valuable platform for strengthening the relationship between the Netherlands and Nigeria, and exploring potential partnerships in the rapidly growing food and agriculture sector. The Netherlands is committed further cooperation with Nigeria in the process re-thinking and re-designing.
You can reach out to The Netherlands governement agricultural team in West Africa, Landbouwteam, Ghana and Nigeria by e-mail
E-mail: ACC-LNV@minbuza.nl
Twitter: @Agri_WestAfrica