From 9 to 11 June 2026, KOWR organised a national stand in Lagos for the first time during Nigeria’s largest food industry fair – Food & Beverage West Africa. The fair is an excellent opportunity for companies open to the challenges of the African market to establish new business contacts with potential partners not only from Nigeria but also from the wider region, including Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Senegal, Cameroon and Kenya.
During this year’s 7th edition of Food & Beverage West Africa, seven food industry entrepreneurs presented their offer under the “Poland tastes good” banner at the stand organised by KOWR. In Lagos, Polish companies are looking for importers and distributors on the Nigerian market for products
such as dairy products, milk powders, biscuits, chocolate and other sweets, flours and bakery and confectionery mixes, spices and sauces, energy drinks, and semi-finished products for the dairy and confectionery industries.
The Polish delegation was headed by Henryk Smolarz, Director General of KOWR, who on 9 June welcomed Patryk Zając, a representative of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Abuja, at the national stand.
On the eve of the fair, thanks to the efforts of the staff of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, business meetings were organised at the PAIH Foreign Trade Office in Lagos between Polish companies and potential Nigerian partners.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and the most populous country on the continent, with more than 200 million inhabitants. Lagos, home to over 20 million people, is the business and financial centre not only of Nigeria but of the whole of West Africa. The Nigerian economy is based on the extractive industry, with 90% of state revenues coming from oil sales. The government is seeking to diversify the economy through the development of agriculture, industry, manufacturing and services. Construction, telecommunications services and e-commerce are also gaining in importance.
Last year’s edition of Food & Beverage West Africa was attended by more than 350 exhibitors from 63 countries, while the number of visitors exceeded 6,500. The Lagos fair is a key meeting place for producers, distributors, importers and representatives of the HoReCa sector from Nigeria and other countries in the region.
In 2025, exports of Polish agri-food products to Nigeria reached EUR 83.6 million. Compared with the previous year, exports in the following product categories recorded an upward trend: dairy products, sugar syrups, spirits, coffee, tea and cocoa, and confectionery. Processed products with a long shelf life have the greatest export potential.
