THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The recent inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo in Lagos has been hailed as a great success by the event patrons, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, according to organisers Clarion Events. The event, launched in response to the federal government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify, welcomed more than 2,600 manufacturing experts over three days in March.
The top manufacturing industries represented include Agro, Food, Beverage & Tobacco Processing; Packaging; Labelling; Printing, Graphics & Converting; Plastics & Rubber Processing; Textile Production; Shoe Making; Tanning; Automotive Assembly; Metal Working, Foundry and Metallurgy; Glass Making & Processing; Cement Making; Ceramic Making; Pharmaceutical & Medical Processing; Cosmetic Processing; Electronics Production & OEM Assemblies; Chemical Processing; Plastic and Rubber Processing; Wood-Working and FMCG.
The sold-out expo floor featured leading international and local suppliers of industrial automation equipment and machine tools including: GEA West Africa, Clearpack, Kautex, Festo Automation, Miele Packaging, Gil Automation and Thomson & Grace, who were gold sponsors. The Exhibition also featured International country pavilions from Indian and German as well as a Nigeria Manufacturers Pavilion where made-in-Nigeria produce was promoted.
Furthermore attending in strong numbers were leading private sector banks who were providing financing for machinery acquisition such as: Sterling Bank, Fidelity Bank, Ecobank, Zenith Bank, Diamond Bank, Access Bank, Accion Microfinance bank, Rand Merchant Bank Nigeria Limited and Union Bank of Nigeria.
The Expo featured the latest and most innovative machines, tools, automation technology and specialist financial offerings from more than 80 leading international and local manufacturing equipment and services suppliers.
“The huge attendance at the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo exceeded our expectations,” says event director Russell Hughes. He was inspired by an impressive array of products made in Nigeria which were proudly promoted in the Nigeria Manufacturers Pavilion. “We believe that Nigeria is the next global manufacturing hub,” he adds.
Annemarie Roodbol
