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The 11th edition of Agrofood Nigeria will take place in March 2026. (Image credit: Agrofood Nigeria)

Event News

The 11th edition of Agrofood Nigeria 2026 will be held from 24th to 26th March at the Landmark Centre in Lagos.

This major event highlights the growing momentum of Nigeria's agrofood sector, offering a unique platform for industry leaders, suppliers, and professionals across the entire value chain to come together.

Organised by Fairtrade Messe in collaboration with Modion Communications, Agrofood Nigeria 2026 is set to be a key event, drawing thousands of participants from across Nigeria and West Africa. It will showcase innovation and provide opportunities for networking, business development, and knowledge sharing. This year’s event features focused partial fairs, offering specialised experiences in agriculture, food + bev tech, food ingredients, packaging, and food + hospitality. This allows professionals to explore specific sectors in depth.

A highlight of the 2026 edition is the Netherlands as the guest of honour, marking the strong partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands in the agrofood sector. This special designation will promote Dutch expertise and create valuable opportunities for collaboration between the two nations' agricultural stakeholders.

Key features of Agrofood Nigeria 2026 include:
- Increased regional reach with attendees from across West and Central Africa.

- Government participation, including ministries from both federal and Lagos State governments, demonstrating strong support for the event.

- National pavilions from countries such as China, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and South Africa, highlighting international collaboration.

- Over 100 global exhibitors showcasing tailored products and solutions for the Nigerian market.

- Insightful conference sessions, building on the success of 2025 with more speakers and networking opportunities.

- Co-location with WACCSE, promoting advancements in West Africa’s cold chain sector, enhancing technology and cooperation.

With support from over 20 respected organisations, including government agencies, international chambers, and trade bodies, Agrofood Nigeria 2026 cements its position as West Africa’s leading platform for innovation in the agrofood and packaging sectors.

Nigeria’s growing agrofood sector is reflected in its significant investments in food and packaging technology, making it one of Africa’s largest importers in this field. The Nigerian food market is projected to reach US$233.53bn by end of 2025, with a steady annual growth rate of over 10%, further boosting the importance of this key event.

The initiative aims to support local farmers raising cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry.

Cattle

The Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, supported by the World Bank, is stepping up efforts to reduce the impact of livestock diseases in Taraba State

The initiative aims to support local farmers raising cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry by building stronger disease prevention and control systems.

At a recent training session held in Jalingo for veterinary officers and animal health technologists, Hananiah Albert, the State Project Coordinator, explained that the project focuses on early disease detection, quicker reporting, and coordinated response.

“Livestock diseases such as Anthrax, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP), Hemorrhagic Septicemia, and African Swine Fever continue to disrupt production and trade in Taraba, significantly affecting farmers’ livelihoods and threatening food security,” Albert said.

He pointed out that delays in identifying outbreaks and gaps in communication between field officers make the situation worse.

His words: “What makes these outbreaks more devastating is the delay in detection and the gaps in reporting and coordination among field officers and response systems. This is why L-PRES is working to build a collaborative platform where all stakeholders can work together for effective surveillance and control.”

Albert added that L-PRES is not only focused on controlling diseases but also on strengthening Nigeria’s emergency response and making livestock farming more commercially viable.

Speaking at the event, Taraba State’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Nicholas Namessan, affirmed the government’s support for the programme. He stressed the need for partnerships between the public and private sectors.

“Disease control should not be left to the government alone. We need continued collaboration with private animal health professionals, community leaders, and farmers to build a more resilient and productive livestock sector,” Namessan said.

anzania's agricultural revolution: a blueprint for Africa.

Agriculture

Tanzania is quickly becoming a standout example of how African nations can transform their agricultural systems to achieve long-term food security and economic resilience

Speaking at the 2024 World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue in Iowa, President Samia Suluhu Hassan proudly announced that Tanzania has reached an exceptional 128 percent level of food self-sufficiency. This means the country now produces more than enough food to feed its population and is in a position to export the surplus to neighbouring nations.

The achievement has drawn praise from leading figures in global development. Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, credited Tanzania for igniting momentum across the continent toward a new era of agricultural transformation. He pointed to key events like the 2023 Dakar 2 Food Summit, which attracted more than US$72bn in investments, as a catalyst for Africa’s food revolution.

Tanzania’s success isn’t just about producing more—it’s also about diversifying agriculture and building inclusive rural economies. One notable example is the rise of cashew nut processing and exports, a sector that had been largely controlled by Asian markets. Tanzania is now asserting itself as a major player in this industry.

Crucial to this transformation has been rural infrastructure development, particularly bringing electricity to nearly all village communities. This access to power has enabled farmers to adopt modern tools and techniques, boosting productivity across the board.

A major driver of Tanzania’s agricultural evolution is the “Creating Jobs for Youth and Women” initiative, supported by the African Development Bank. This programme equips young people with training and access to land, encouraging them to pursue careers in agriculture. So far, more than 11,000 individuals have benefited, and the model is gaining attention from other countries looking to tap into their youthful populations.

The broader vision, highlighted during the Borlaug Dialogue, is for Africa to shift from food insecurity to becoming a net food exporter. With its vast arable land and growing number of young innovators, the continent has the potential to help feed the world—provided there’s sustained investment in technology, infrastructure, and capacity building.

Tanzania’s journey illustrates what’s possible when political will, strategic investment, and local empowerment come together in agriculture. Its progress sets a powerful example for other nations seeking not just to survive, but to lead in the global food economy.

RoboOptimizer enhances poultry processing efficiency. (Image credit: Marel)

Machinery & Equipment

Marel has introduced the RoboOptimizer, a cutting-edge automation tool designed to remove the labour-intensive task of loading portion cutters in poultry processing

This intelligent positioning system works seamlessly with the I-Cut 122 portion cutter, forming a fully automated process from the moment singulated fillets are placed on the belt.

By taking full control of positioning and communication with the portion cutter, RoboOptimizer ensures accuracy and consistency throughout the operation. It doesn’t just handle the cutting—it manages the flow of products downstream as well, making it a comprehensive solution for modern processors.

Traditionally, workers have been responsible for placing chicken fillets on belts, a process that directly impacts the quality of the final product. Inconsistent or incorrect placement would often result in lower yields and poor cuts. RoboOptimizer solves this problem by organising the fillets accurately before they reach the portion cutter. Using a rapid gripper system, it can manage up to 120 fillets per minute across dual belts—an efficiency no human operator can match.

“With RoboOptimizer, we really step away from labour. If the products are singulated, portion cutting can now be done without staff. The system will do the job with much more consistency and accuracy than people could ever do. The operator who loads breast caps into the deboning system could potentially be the last person to touch the meat. RoboOptimizer comes as close to a labour-free solution as possible,” says Morten Dalqvist, Marel Product Specialist.

The system features a laser vision scanner that covers an 800 mm-wide conveyor. It measures each fillet’s size and orientation, even distinguishing between left and right fillets—a Marel-patented feature. This distinction is vital to preserve meat fibres and avoid damage during the cutting and tumbling stages.

“Optimising the angle of each individual fillet can give a significantly better yield for strips,” adds Dalqvist. “There are fewer off-cuts because we can optimise the right strip length all the time. Before, we used to cut a fixed trim of a certain size to ensure that the first strip met the requirements. By using the RoboOptimizer, we can reduce this trim to a minimum and still ensure the correct strip length. This eventually increases the overall yield.”

Faulty or misaligned fillets are also filtered out before reaching the cutter, preventing downstream issues. The system then uses strip-optimising software to determine how each fillet should be used—whether for cubes, burgers, or precise strips—maximising both yield and product quality.

Factories relying on manual loading for portion cutting, especially in QSR, food service, or retail production, stand to gain significantly from adopting RoboOptimizer. With full integration for sorting, trimming, and routing, and virtually no labour required, it redefines automation in poultry processing.