Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has urged manufacturers in the food and beverage industry to embrace smart packaging technologies as a means of curbing Nigeria’s post-harvest loss to ensure food security and reduce waste.
“I encourage every stakeholder here to embrace the themes of this year’s event with urgency and determination. We must actively seek out ways to implement smart packaging technologies that ensure food security and reduce waste.
“We must collaborate across sectors to manage plastics responsibly and push forward innovations that protect both our economy and our environment,” he said during the opening ceremony of the 11th edition of PROPAK West Africa 2024: Smart Packaging Conference in Lagos.
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Themed, ‘Unlocking Nigeria Food Security: Implementation of Smart Packaging to Reduce Waste’, the three-day packaging, processing, printing and plastic conference started on Monday, September 10.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, stated that packaging for food security was a national priority as Nigeria continues to grow in both population and economic ambition.
According to him, it is estimated that about 40 percent of food produced in Nigeria is lost before it reaches the consumer. “Despite our rich agricultural resources, we still face significant post-harvest losses due to inadequate processing, packaging, and storage.”
He stated further that the development of companies in the food and beverage sector, especially the packaging subsector is vital to ensuring Nigeria’s economic growth and competitiveness in the global market.
