Held alongside the exhibition, the Smart Packaging Conference 3.0 takes up Food Waste and Sustainability.

 

By Naresh Khanna

The eleventh edition of the Propak West Africa International Exhibition and Conference was successfully held at the Landmark Events Center in Lagos from 10 to 12 September 2024. The event, organized by Afrocet-Montgomery in collaboration with the Advanced Institute of Packaging Professionals Nigeria LTD/GTE, the African Packaging Organisation, and the WPO World Packaging Organisation, brought together industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders in the packaging, printing, and plastics industries across West Africa.

This year’s exhibition was a resounding success, attracting key players from across the globe and highlighting the latest innovations and trends in packaging technology. Attendees were treated to insightful presentations, networking opportunities, and product showcases from leading companies within the packaging sector.

Mr. George Pearson, Regional Director at Afrocet Montgomery, the organizer of Propak West Africa and allied shows in West Africa, spoke at the inauguration of the show, as did H.E. Mrs. Folashade Ambrose-Medebem the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, who complimented the exhibition organizers for showing the latest processes that will bring quality and global standards to packaging to the country and the region and also for its emphasis on collaboration.

The eleventh edition of the event brought 275 exhibitors from 37 countries to the event, many of them global processing and packaging equipment manufacturers based in Europe and Asia including GEA, SACMI, Krones, Bobst, Rajoo, Ishida, Yamato, Shubham Extrusion Machines, Mamta, Xsys, Guala Closures, Jurry, Ningbo, Suzhou Tongda, Starpak India, and SP Ultraflex. Manufacturers and stakeholders based in Africa and Nigeria — such as Societe de Compoundage, Simba Group, and SGE Tech Nigeria — took the opportunity to show their wares and network with global experts.

The exhibitors included Beier Machinery, a leading Chinese blow molding and plastic recycling company, and Xsys, which talked about its flexo plates and platemaking equipment. Mamta Machinery of India highlighted its extrusion-blown film lines and highly automated pouching machines. Mamta’s representative at the show spoke about the company’s commitment to the African market and that it has supplied more than 20 machines to the Nigerian market in the past five years. Guala Closures spoke about its secure packaging solutions and global locations, and especially its presence in East Africa and the current project to set up a plant in Nigeria.

 

Smart Packaging Conference 3.0 – Unlocking Nigeria Food Security.

Held alongside the exhibition was the Smart Packaging Conference for the third time. This year’s theme was “Unlocking Nigeria Food Security:  Implement Smart Packaging to Reduce Waste.”

George Pearson, Regional Director at Afrocet Montgomery, outlined the aims of the conference to broaden the exchange between experts for implementation of sustainable packaging to reduce food waste and the hope of attracting investment in machinery manufacturing. He thanked the conference partners — the Advanced Institute of Packaging Professionals of Nigeria (AIOPPN) and the World Packaging Organization (WPO).

Dr. Segun Alabi, Representative of the Director General of the General Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, spoke of the synergy between agriculture and smart packaging to monitor the quality of food, extend its shelf life, and reduce waste. Ahmed Omah, President of the Institute of Packaging Nigeria, and Executive Director of the African Packaging Organization, spoke about the development and importance of packaging events and networking in the region.

Her Excellency Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment of Lagos State, spoke of the critical role of the central theme of the conference. It is necessary to reduce food waste and plastic waste, she said, noting that over the years of the 9.5 billion tons of plastic produced, more than 8 billion tons remain as waste. “As far Nigeria’s journey for food security — 40% of our food is lost before reaching consumers.”

She added, “Crucially, Lagos which is a megacity of 29 million, produces 870,000 tons of solid waste.” She went on to speak of several state programs — such as the 30-year agenda for integrating sustainable practices, the Lagos Consumer Protection Agency, and other measures and supports for agriculture that include partnerships with global companies. She cited measures for mitigating plastic waste and the need for public and private stakeholders and civil society to work together for sustainable packaging solutions.

In the first session of the conference, Kofi Essuman Vice President of Education, at the World Packaging Organisation, suggested that packaging is the key to global markets and trade. “Packaging is the last step to push trade. We are excited that this program has continued for 12 years and lets us overcome the challenge of not being competitive by mastering the technologies of packaging.” He went on to encourage the participants to take part in the Africa Star and World Star Awards competitions.

The organizers expressed a special note of gratitude to Her Excellency Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment of Lagos State, Luciana Pellegrino‎, President, World Packaging organization/ABRE – Associação Brasileira de Embalagem (Brazilian Packaging Association), Ali Badarneh, Division Chief, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Headquarters Vienna, and the other speakers at the Smart Packaging Conference, who contributed to the success of the event by sharing their time, expertise, and insights during various sessions.

“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all participants and especially to our esteemed speakers for their valuable contributions,” said Ambassador Ahmed Alex Omah, Global Ambassador for the World Packaging Organisation and President of the African Packaging Organisation. “The success of Propak West Africa 2024 was driven by the collective efforts of everyone involved, and we look forward to sharing the post-show report with further updates.”