FAB West Africa - Exhibition Manager Statement - November 2024

I am delighted to introduce this first edition of a monthly newsletter for the food and beverage industry here in Nigeria and further afield.

A significant announcement here has been a zero per cent duty rate and value added tax (VAT) exemption for Nigeria. This temporary measure running from August to the end of 2024 applies to the importation of certain basic foodstuffs such as grains and beans in an attempt to improve affordability of essential commodities.

Plans have also been announced to boost the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ-1) initiative to boost food production in Nigeria. Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, has indicated that promoting domestic food production will be a positive step towards curbing inflation.

In recent weeks, President Bola Tinubu expressed concern about the longstanding neglect of Nigeria's livestock sector, which, as a result, has driven up import costs, with milk and dairy products accounting for between $1.2-$1.5 billion annually.

We will be following the impact of these measure with interest.

One of the strengths of the Food and Beverage West Africa Exhibition is the range of international exhibitors. Even though the next FAB WA is still eight months away, I can confirm that more than 86% of exhibitors at this year’s show have rebooked for 2025 and new exhibitors are coming on board daily.

The exhibition team recently visited the SIAL Paris 60th anniversary international food trade show. Taking place every two years, SIAL Paris is one of the stand out F&B events of the year, with the milestone event once again delivering even more international exhibitors. These include Rama Exports and Savour Private Label from India, Whiba Holdings from Libia and many more. 

This follows on from the extremely successful visit to ISM-Middle East sweet, snacks and confectionery exhibition in Dubai which confirmed over 10 exhibitors from UAE, Netherlands, India and Indonesia.  

For those of you who attended the 2024 edition, you will know how successful FAB WA was, fostering new partnerships, business deals, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The exhibition hosted over 280 exhibitors from around the globe with over 5,700 trade professionals in attendance from across the African continent. It also facilitated the introduction of new products and partnerships in the West African market. 

We look forward to welcoming you in June 2025.

Brad Smith 
Food and Beverage Exhibition Manager 

For more information, please visit www.fab-westafrica.com