The organisers of Propak West Africa, an exhibition for the packaging, plastics, printing, and food processing industries in the region, have announced that the 11th edition of the event will feature new segments, including a product innovation stage.
According to Propak in a statement, the 2024 West Africa conference is themed ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Food Security: Implementation of Smart Sustainable Packaging to Reduce Food Waste’ and will gather 5,500 participants, and over 50 speakers across three days in September.
The organisers of the event stated that this year’s theme aimed to address the critical issues in Nigeria’s food supply chain.
According to Propak, the product innovation stage would provide an exclusive platform for brands, including Tetrapak West Africa, SACMI, Bobst, Krones West Africa, and EPSON to showcase their latest innovations.
The organisers urged participants to sign up early to access the 50 seats available in each session, which would offer a close-up look at cutting-edge equipment driving the industry forward.
“The product innovation stage will run across all three days of the exhibition. There are lots of opportunities for visitors to learn something new,” Propak noted.
The conference organisers said on September 10, the Advanced Institute of Packaging Professionals Nigeria would host the Smart Packaging Conference in collaboration with the World Packaging Organisation and the African Packaging Organisation.
According to Propak, the Smart Packaging Conference, a day-long programme will feature over 20 speakers, who will delve into innovative approaches to sustainable packaging, cold chain technologies, e-commerce platforms for food distribution, and the implementation of sustainable packaging across the food supply chain.
It stated that the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, would deliver the keynote address.
It said other speakers include experts from Flour Mills of Nigeria, LAWMA, Crown Flour Mill Ltd, Helen Keller International, and Value Ingredients Ltd.
Propak said on September 11, the audit firm, KPMG, which is a strategic partner, would host a conference, titled, ‘Plastics for a Sustainable Future: Exploring Cross-sectoral Responsibilities, Innovation, and Sustainable Finance’.
It said the conference would explore the crucial role of sustainability in the plastics industry, with contributions from the Special Adviser on Climate Change and Circular Economy to the Governor of Lagos State; Titilayo Oshodi; founder/CEO of GIVO Africa, Victor Boyle-Komolafe; and Head of Sustainability at Verod Capital, Chigozie Ejimogu; among others.