By Chucks Nwonye
All is now set for the pre-conference media briefing on the 5th Agribusiness Roundtable International Conference, tagged Uyo 2026, as organizers move to give stakeholders a clear picture of preparations for the global agribusiness event.
The joint press briefing, convened by the Agribusiness Unit, the Nigeria Agribusiness and Agro-Industry Development Initiative, NAADI, and the Central Organizing Committee, will hold Wednesday, October 21, 2026, by 2:00 p.m. at the Agribusiness Unit, AKADEP Facility in Uyo.
In a statement made available to journalists in Uyo on Tuesday, the Central Organizing Committee said the briefing has become necessary to update the public on the extensive groundwork already covered ahead of the conference slated for October 25 to 28, 2026, at Watbridge Hotels & Suites, Uyo.
According to the Committee, the briefing will provide a comprehensive status report across all critical pillars of the conference, including content and programme design, stakeholder and partner mobilization, protocol and logistics, exhibition planning, media and communications, and security arrangements.
The Committee stated that the final phase of preparations is now underway to ensure a seamless, impactful, and memorable conference experience for delegates and exhibitors.
The 5th edition of the conference is themed: “Accelerating Agribusiness Transformation: Unlocking Value Chains to Achieve Food Security, Nutrition Sustainability, Job Creation, Poverty Alleviation, and National Prosperity.”
The theme, organizers explained, was carefully chosen to align with current national priorities around food systems transformation, youth employment, and economic diversification away from crude oil.
Uyo 2026 is projected to be the largest gathering of agribusiness actors in the South-South region this year, with attendance expected from federal and state government officials, agribusiness investors, commercial and smallholder farmers, cooperative societies, agritech startups, financial institutions, research institutions, development agencies, and international partners.
The conference agenda will feature high-level plenary sessions, policy dialogues, commodity-specific value chain roundtables, technical masterclasses, exhibitions of farm produce, machinery and innovations, as well as business-to-business linkages and guided field visits to model farms and agro-industrial sites in Akwa Ibom State.
Organizers revealed that confirmation of participation has already been received from key government ministries, private sector agribusiness firms, donor-funded projects, and foreign missions interested in Nigeria’s agricultural transformation story.
They attributed the choice of Akwa Ibom for the 5th edition to the state’s rising reputation as an emerging agribusiness hub, its hospitality and security architecture, and the sustained support of the state government for agricultural development through various interventions in coconut, rice, cassava, oil palm and fisheries value chains.
The statement further invited media practitioners, government MDAs, agribusiness operators, development partners, prospective exhibitors, and members of the public to attend the briefing and interact with the organizing teams.
“The Central Organizing Committee is working round the clock to deliver a conference that meets global standards and leaves lasting economic benefits for Akwa Ibom and Nigeria. Uyo 2026 will not just be an event, it will be a marketplace of ideas, investments and innovations for food security and national prosperity,” the statement added.
Organizers assured that details of headline speakers, keynote presenters, panelists and special side events will be formally unveiled during Wednesday’s briefing
