NAFN expects foreign participants at agric show

Speaking during an interview with Daily Trust, the National Coordinator of the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), Dr. Samuel Negedu, who said they usually have about 140 to 160 exhibitors, either as corporate group, state or local governments, said this year they are planning to bring big players like the Dangote Group to see […]

Speaking during an interview with Daily Trust, the National Coordinator of the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), Dr. Samuel Negedu, who said they usually have about 140 to 160 exhibitors, either as corporate group, state or local governments, said this year they are planning to bring big players like the Dangote Group to see if they can showcase the firm, to show exhibitors their investment in agriculture following a very extensive advocacy they did in that regard.
 He said the show, which is usually organized back-to-back with the World Food day celebration, would be shifted to the third week of October between 22-25th because of  Sallah celebration adding, “We were lucky that we had a briefing about the Sallah break because a large number of our exhibitors are Muslims.”
Commenting on the target audience for the show, Negedu said, “The show is for both large and small scale farmers and cuts across the entire sector – crop production, live stock, fishery and processing.
“We will also have research institutes that will be showcasing technology, input providers like tractors and equipment, and agro-chemical industries for fertilizers, banks are also coming there to show products they have for farmers. We will have marketers to broker deals on how producers can get their products across to buyers. We will also have advocators and some embassies like that of Turkey and China, to give us their country’s products,” he said.
Others expected at the show are women groups who are into advocacy and processing in agriculture. They are as well reaching out to Agric show groups in United Kingdom, Kenya, Turkey and China.
On the economic and financial contributions to the country’s economy, the coordinator said, “We have not reached the platform of record financial success in terms of investment or agreement signed with foreign participants. The only amount we charge is to enable exhibitors participate and do their exhibition but we are going to add a dimension this year. We are already talking with corporate affairs to create membership of the foundation with membership criteria and conditions. We believe the next agric show will be a platform to launch the membership like life membership, corperate membership etc.”