Nigeria Manufacturing Expo great success with 2600+ attendees and high-level policy discussions at mPAD

The recent third annual mPAD & inaugural Nigeria Manufacturing Expo (MAN Expo) inLagos has been hailed a great success by the event patrons, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). The event, which was launched in response to the government’s commitment to industrialisation and Nigeria’s need to diversify, welcomed more than 2600 manufacturing experts over three days in March.

The Nigeria Manufacturing Expo featured the latest and most innovative machines, tools, automation technology and specialist financial offerings from the more than 80 leading international and local manufacturing equipment and services suppliers over 2300m² of exhibition space.  Attendees represented 24 different countries while 30 manufacturing expert speakers addressed hundreds during the free-to-attend conference sessions on the expo floor. 

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.

Supporting local manufacturers
“The huge attendance at the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo exceeded our expectations” says event director Russell Hughes. He adds: “we were honoured to also welcome the Bank of Industry (BOI) as a key partner who are supporting local manufacturers with low, long term interest rates so they may re-tool and modernise.”

He says he was inspired by an impressive array of Made-in-Nigeria products which were proudly promoted in the Nigeria Manufacturers Pavilion. He continues: “it is our aim to support the Federal Ministry and Manufacturers Association to create an enabling environment in which local production can prosper. We believe that Nigeria is the next global manufacturing hub.”

The event also enjoyed important support from the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria who were host ministry and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry who were the host chamber.

MAN & supplier feedback:

• “Very well accepted, I really had a good time. Great for the local manufacturer“ 
  - Mrs Ekama E Akpan, National Vice President , Manufacturers Association of Nigeria
• “The Nigeria Manufacturing Expo was one-of-a-kind in terms of the buyers it generated and the kind of professionalism experienced in the Nigerian Market overall. Targeted buyers visited the show, making it a huge success for exhibitors.”

- Mr. Nishant, Marketing & Promotions, FIEO (India Pavilion)

• “This is the best exhibition I have attended in Nigeria.”

-      Mr. Andreas Kruger, General Manager, GEA West Africa

• “We had the opportunity to educate other participants about our operations. Well organised and well-coordinated. We will have our own stand next year”

- Richard E Obianu, Senior Manager, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA)

•  “The event is great! It is a very good avenue for contact for manufacturers to display their products and solutions” 
  - Alhaji Ali Madugu, Vice President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria
• “My experience at the Nigeria Manufacturing Expo was very good and useful. From my discussions with other stakeholders who attended, they have praises for the organization. The technical papers presented were very apt and useful. The exhibitors list is good with reputable OEMs from Europe and some local ones which are very relevant to many MSMEs present.” 
  - Engr  Ibrahim Usman, Vice President (North West Zone) Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, Chairman Board Of Directors, Manufacturers Power Development Company Limited
• “The 3^rd mPAD and Nigerian Manufacturing Expo is fantastic, rewarding and good to hold again”  
  - Reginald Odiah, Chairperson, Economic Policy Committee & Chairperson, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria

mPAD programme
The event also hosted a policy level discourse in the co-located, third annual mPAD (Manufacturing Partnerships for African Development) round table sessions during which regulatory challenges within the sector were discussed. Says event director Russell Hughes: “the goal of the Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan is to increase the contribution of the manufacturing sector to GDP from the present 4% to more  than 10% over the next five years. This will boost the annual revenue earnings of the Nigerian manufacturers by up to $25bn per annum”. 

The invitation-only set of round table discussions at mPAD were chaired by the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the Director of the Trade Department and Director of Industrial Development and Inspectorate Department of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria. Also attending were federal government agencies, ECOWAS officials, the MAN executive committee, international trade departments and export councils as well as C-level industrialists and financiers.

Feedback from mPAD delegates:

• “The event was enlightening and the round table discussions gave insight into the steps to take in order to take manufacturing in Nigeria to greater heights. There were practical suggestions that will positively impact the sector and help in reducing costs that will help local manufacturers.” 
  - Bhadmus Abudu, CEO, Premier Paints plc
  • The invitation to the Government agencies was a very good idea because it gave some stakeholders in the private sector, the opportunity to make inputs and criticisms to government policies/documents like the NIRP from FMITI.”  
    - Engr  Ibrahim Usman, Vice President (North West Zone) Chairman, Infrastructure Committee, Chairman Board Of Directors, Manufacturers Power Development Company Limited

• “The Nigeria manufacturing Expo has the potential to be the preferred platform for manufacturing business to network.”

- National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC)

Media coverage of the event included:

-          Over 150 media personnel in attendance.

-          Coverage on four major TV stations: TVC, NTA, AIT and CNBC Africa.

-          Coverage in 35 publications, radio stations and leading newspapers, pre, during and post event, including The Guardian, Business Day, The Punch and Vanguard.

The Nigeria Manufacturing Expo, featuring mPAD, was organised in partnership by Spintelligent Pty, Clarion Events Ltd, African event specialists and organisers of the West African Power Industry Convention (WAPIC).

The Nigeria Manufacturing Expo 2016 Post Event Report is now available to download on www.NigeriaManufacturingExpo.com