The journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, according to the age-long saying. This analogy can best describe the recently concluded Nigeria International Print Expo (NIPEX) as it collocated with Plastprintpack Nigeria and Agrofood to organize the largest print, plastic, packaging, and agro-food exhibition for the Nigerian market.
This journey according to the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of DCS Integrated Media Limited, Mr. Tunde Obokhai started in December 2021 when an agreement was reached by the DCS Integrated Media Limited team, the organizers of NIPEX and Fairtrade team, the organizers of Plastprintpack Nigeria and Agrofood Nigeria to jointly organize an exhibition of a renowned world standard for the printing, packaging, and plastics industry in Nigeria.
The event took place at the Landmark Centre, Victoria Island Lagos with the theme: Making Print Business Profitable Again in Nigeria. The theme wouldn’t have come at a better time than now when the Nigeria printing regulatory body – The Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON), DCS Integrated Media Limited, and other concerned printing associations are at the forefront in the news advocating for the Nigerian printing industry viability through favorable government support and patronage for the sector.
The three days event was chaired and declared open by the Vice-Chairman of Digitalreality Print Limited, one of the foremost printing and corporate support service providers in Nigeria and Africa, and a Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, represented by the Chief operating officer of the company, Mrs. Akin- Adesola Elsie.
In apostle Alakija’s opening speech, she said: “I warmly welcome our honored guests, participants, stakeholders in the printing industry, the press, ladies and gentlemen to this auspicious event, the Nigeria International Print Expo is the biggest in West Africa showcasing organization in the print and align industry. This exhibition and conference is the 16th edition of NIPEX which made its debut in 2001. This year’s Expo is bigger and better as a result of the partnership between NIPEX and the organizers of the agro and plastprintpack Nigeria and the essence is to convene a robust print, plastic, and packaging trade show and conference in Nigeria with a well-renowned exhibition where visitors and investors needs are met under one roof”. She said
” The theme for this year’s conference is Making Print Business Profitable Again, I congratulate DCS Integrated Media Limited the organizers of this conference for the wisdom to put this event together and for considering me worthy to open it. This industry is one of the oldest in the country and is interconnected with other industries, it is also an important employer of labour providing jobs for millions of people in Nigeria and the rest of the world. However, it has been facing many challenges due to the increasing cost of energy, equipment, and raw materials among others as you are already aware printing is a capital-intensive endeavor, this is because most of the equipment and materials are imported coupled with the fact that foreign exchange is always fluctuating” She said
Apostle Alakija went further to state that people’s changing reading habits as well as the shift towards work base media and solutions is a challenge that has negatively affected the sector.
Moreso, she added: “Packaging production is an important part of the print industry and this sector faces higher cost of equipment, rising cost of raw materials, and balancing of environmentally friendly products against profitability. Stakeholders across the value chain are voicing their concerns regarding the use of plastic packaging and they are realigning themselves in this direction. It is for this reason that the theme for this year’s Expo Making Print Business Profitable Again becomes relevant. So, how do we ensure we can improve print industry profitability? I believe that we will need to take some steps such as changing our strategies, synergizing more, and engaging with other stakeholders within the value chain”. Apostle Alakija stated.
Also, the keynote address delivered by the President of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) Mr. Olugbemi Malomo, a veteran in the printing industry and a strong advocate of Nigerian print jobs remaining in Nigeria at NIPEX 2022 during his keynote address “I will like to congratulate my dear brother and friend Pastor Tunde Obokhai and the entire DCS team for their consistency in the organization of NIPEX amid difficult economic challenges. Your contribution to the upliftment of the printing industry will not go unrewarded. We are here today to take responsibility, we owe it to ourselves, our future, and our business’s sustainability, to make printing profitable again in the face of daily daunting challenges. We can give up, some certainly will and we can take responsibility to fight, to fight for the sustainability of our businesses if you have “no place to go” and you are ready to endure till our business changes then it will take a village when Hilary Clinton borrowed “it takes a village” from the popular African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” as the title of her biography, her emphasis was on the collective resolve of the village to achieve results.
We need a collective resolve of you the stakeholders, and that will be achieved when we begin to see ourselves as a business ecosystem where our survival just like the natural ecosystem is interdependent on one another. We need a paradigm shift and new narratives.
A shift from “I” to “US” is a new narrative of thinking out of the box, setting new rules that will maintain equilibrium, without which there will be distortions. A new narrative not of unhealthy competition but that of “COOPETITION”, a fusion or portmanteau of competition and cooperation/collaboration which is pioneering in our industry today” Mr. Malomo said.
The special guest of honour for the Education Summit, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Mohammed Bugaje who delivered a paper on The Future of Print Education: The Impact of Higher Education for Printers in his address said: “This event gives me a unique opportunity to address one of the challenges in printing – The future of print education: The impact of higher education for printers. Contrary to popular belief that the printing industry is dying, the demand for printing is so much greater than most people realize and it is not disappearing despite the print industry has experienced a decline over the last two decades.
In addition, he asked, “What role will printing play in the COVID-19 world? The explosion of digital media has had a major impact on how business is done and how consumers are engaged. It’s perhaps not surprising that many might believe the future of printing is not that bright. Although the use of print declined over the last two decades, the industry is embracing a new range of modern applications and is set to take advantage of the oversaturation and privacy issues digital platforms are experiencing. Beyond newspapers, magazines, and books print is embracing new waves of innovation”.
Prof. Bugaje further stated that no matter where an individual goes, printed matters are still visible everywhere. From labels to booklets to packaging and much more, print remains in demand. The packaging on every product we buy is printed. The demand for printing is so much greater than most people realize and that demand is driving constant innovation.
“The future of print education and the impact of higher education for printers, in other, to fulfill the future demands, 3D printing has to become a key element in all levels of academic and professional research; this will prepare students for a workforce that demands sharp critical thinking and collaboration skills. In the U.S. alone, 3D-printing technologies could create three to five million jobs in the next ten years. Even though 3D-printing technology has not yet become standard in higher education, its adoption by some polytechnics and universities has recently been making big waves on a global scale.
Through 3D-printing technology, educators can design rich learning experiences for deeper theoretical constructs, bringing learning from computer screens into students’ hands. 3D printing and design allow medical students to print organs, chemistry students can study 3D molecules in detail, graphic design students can create 3D versions of their artworks, history students can print historical artifacts, architecture students can print 3D models of their projects, engineering design student can 3D print prototypes, and dentistry student can safely advance their endodontic training by 3D-printing teeth to practice procedures like accessing the pulp chamber, root canal enlargement, irrigation, and root canal filling and sealing”.
He advised that the Polytechnics and universities can collaborate with 3D-print platforms to advance demo prototypes for simulation classes using software and materials to enhance modeling and training.
“There are several ways institutions can use 3D-printing to create hands-on learning environments to empower creativity, to prepare students for the workforce, and to develop soft skills: Create a hands-on learning environment, empower creativity and innovation, facilitate real-world understanding, prepare for post-graduate plans, bolster digital engagement, leverage design thinking, students learn to solve problems in the real world. It was 3D printing that solved the global shortage problem of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students learn how to move from an abstract to a 3D-printed object”. Prof Bugaje stated
“Collaboration is a fundamental component of design thinking. By using 3D- printing, students can collaborate with peers on assigned projects. In group projects, students learn from each other’s perspectives and their different working styles. 3D printing also encourages students to improve designs based on previous results and feedback received.
Printing is an extensive profession that involves different aspects and a lot of skills are involved. NIPEX is hereby encouraged to partner with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in the development and review of printing and printing-related curricula for the National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma. Hopefully, there will be other areas for collaboration between the NIPEX and NBTE.
To key into Nigeria Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) in the development of National Occupational Standards for the printing subsector as well as collaborating with Board and other stakeholders including printing qualifications in the printing subsector”. He said
