96TH EDITION OF PRINTERS DIGEST

www.printersdigest.com.ng

Issue 14, Vol.96, Sep.-Nov., 2020

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Issue 14, Vol.96, Sep.-Nov., 2020

Print Business Business In Print

VOLUME 96

EDITOR’S INK THE TEAM EDITORIAL BOARD/ MEMBERS Chairman: Dr. Rotimi Oladele Sir John Onuegbulem Alhaji Aliyu Gudaji Mrs Bunmi Adetayo PRESIDENT/CEO Tunde Obokhai DIRECTOR Matilda Obokhai

AGILITY AND RESPONSIVENESS IS THE KEY TO ADAPTING TO THE “NEW NORMAL” being forced to make tough decisions on issues that will shape the future direction of their businesses within a very short period where previously they might have had months, because key to adapting to the “new normal” is agility and r e s p o n s i v e n e s s .

BUSINESS MANAGER Norah Okpara

At the start of year 2020, business plans were made with many HEAD OF PRINTING SERVICES intentions of attending in-person /EDITOR conferences and trade shows to Juliet Nnajiofor- Uyi review requirements and compare REPORTER s o l u t i o n s f ro m a va r i et y o f Osere Emmanuel suppliers. Those global gatherings DISTRIBUTOR for interactions with Cosmas Etuk recommendations from industry colleagues such as NIPEX, DRUPA, ART DIRECTOR FESPA, etc were cancelled with the Ugwuoke Precious hope that they would happen EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS within a very short period but the Print Consultant global pandemic never allowed such gathering to take place Print businesses all over the world physically this year. have to live with changes brought in by the Corona Virus Pandemic. If The question is how to make the any print practitioner had come right decisions for new equipment out in the news to describe what and technology without live September 2020 print business events. Should organizations continue to postpone capital st world will look like on January 1 , investment decisions? As we move we probably would have thought into the last quarter of 2020, it is such a practitioner is speaking time to make key decisions that will gross. Who could have predicted positively affect your business. the global Covid-19 pandemic and the huge disruption it brought to T h e i n d u st r y h a s m o ve d to our lives and businesses? information sharing in virtual events of different types. The Someday we will reflect on how the world changed in 2020 with number of webinars and online p e rs p e c t i v e . R i g h t n o w, a s sources has increased dramatically businesses continue to adapt to since the beginning of March. new ways of engaging with their E q u i p m e n t m a n u f a c t u r e r s , customers and employees, the software companies and media companies are attempting to major focus is how to get the work educate and engage customers done. about their solutions. People As businesses adapt, leaders are

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seeking information about new

technology bear a larger burden to identify trusted sources and make the investment of time to learn about equipment and technology without seeing solutions running live to help them make informed decision.

Without any live events until 2021 we will all need to try to attend more online events to learn, engage and make decisions in order to thrive in the new normal business world of today.

In this edition, we focused on Post Covid-19: The New Normal in Print Business as area of concern; Executive Watch on ACCOUNTABILTY IN LEADERSHIP Exposing Financial Impropriety in CIPPON (2008 to 2019); Artificial intelligence and the Printing Industry and more incisive articles on strategies to successfully run printing business in Nigeria during and after the pandemic.

For constant updates on events as it unfolds in our industry, visit: www.printersdigest.com.ng

Above all, what you will find in the p a ge s o f P R I N T E RS D I G ES T MAGAZINE is a collection of well researched articles written by real, honest and down-to-earth folks who work hard to stay informed to enable us give you the best. I love to hear from you.

Please drop me an e-mail (printersdigest@gmail.com) Juliet NNAJIOFOR-UYI +2348035837934

PUBLISHING DIGEST:

EXECUTIVE WATCH: Accountabilty In LeadershipExposing Financial Impropriety In CIPPON ( 2008 To 2019) (Pg 7A-8A)

Senate Looks Into Privatization of Nigeria Dilapidated Paper Mills (Pg 3B)

INDUSTRY NEWS-

PACKAGING DIGEST:

Printers Call On FG To Create an Enabling Environment For Business to thrive (Pg 10A) Nigeria Printing Industry Not Ripe For Machine Factory – Godwin Ogilo (Pg 10A) CIPPON Abeokuta Court Case Thrown Out By The Judge (Pg 11A)

FAE Limited, Nigeria's Corporate Paper Packaging Company With Focus on Envelope Manufacturing and Customisation has Restated Its Commitment to Innovation as a Key Driver to Staying Relevant In The 21st Century.(Pg 4B)

Heidelberg's Customer Communications To Become Individual And Digital (Pg 12A) CIPPON Former Executives Withdraws Money From the Institute's Account For Self Enrichment (Pg 13A) Print Practitioners To Join Forces Alongside Other Creative Industry Members To Alleviate The Effect Of COVID-19 On The Economy (Pg 14A)

Sealed Air creates chlorine-free shrink bags (Pg 5B) PRINT HEALTH: Health Is Wealth (Pg 6B-7B)

KAMPA Sets To Reposition The Printing Industry Post- COVID 19 (Pg 15A) WHAT THEY THINK:

INTERVIEW/SPECIAL REPORT: Lagos State Deputy Governor Host XHS Nigeria Team on 21st Century

Can Online Ordering Save Print Service Providers in 2020?

- By Ryan McAbee (Pg 16A)

Smart Office Delivery (Pg 8B-9B)

PRINT FASHION:

FINANCE DIGEST:

The Fashion Industry Faces a Step-Change Post-COVID, Say McKinsey and Kornit Digital - By Debbie McKeegan (Pg 17A-18A)

CBN spends N75bn to print banknotes in 2019 (Pg 10B)

SIGNAGE BRANDING DIGEST: Digital Marketing Tips for Brands to Survive During COVID-19 (Pg 19A-20A)

MASTER PRINTER: Artificial intelligence and the Printing Industry. (Pg 11B-12B)

COVER STORY:

PRINT INNOVATION TECHNOLOGY:

Post COVID: The New Normal In Print Business (Pg 21A-23A)

On The Runway With Textile Printing. (Pg 13B-14B)

Nigeria @ 60- The Printing Industry In Retrospect & Way Forward (Pg 24A-26A) FEATURE STORY: How to Stay Informed in a Remote World (Pg 15B) PRINT MANAGEMENT: Managing Change in the Workplace in the New Normal (Pg 16B-17B) PRINT MARKETING: How COVID-19 Is Changing Consumer Patterns-and Why Marketing Strategy Should Change With Them (Pg 18B-19B) TEXTILE PRINT: Textile Chemical Market Size to See Excessive Growth to 2026 (Pg 20) GLOBAL NEWS: Shortened Dates For DRUPA 2021: April (Pg 21B) Global Graphics Powers Miyakoshi's High-Speed Digital Press (Pg 21B) 2020 FESPA Madrid Cancelled and FESPA 2021 moves to Amsterdam(Pg 22B) Fujifilm Announces Strategic Partnership with Permalite to Support Synthetic Printing Solutions(Pg 22B) PRINT PERSONALITY: One-on-One with Dr. Daniel E. Itanyi, of Department of Printing Technology, 6A PRINTERS DIGEST

College of Science and Technology Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna (Pg 23B-24B)

ACCOUNTABILTY IN LEADERSHIP-

Exposing Financial Impropriety in CIPPON ( 2008 to 2019)

By: Tunde Obokhai

O

ne of the hallmarks of any good leader is accountability. Accountability occurs when leaders deliver on their commitments to those they are leading. Leadership accountability shows when leaders are seen to do what they will do showing others they can be trusted to do what they say they'll do. Trust is one of the most important results of accountability in leadership.

When a leader is accountable it means such a leader willing to make commitments and be responsible for his actions. This promotes trust between him and people he is leading.

One very important area that leaders are expected to be accountable is in handling the finance of the organization they are leading.

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In any context, leaders are to ensure that a good financial administration is put in place i n s u c h o rga n i zat i o n to enhance financial accountability. Handling of the finances of any organisations should be such that financial tasks are carried out by more than one person to reduce error and fraud.

There should also be proper recording of accounting activities that can cross checked by external auditors from time to time .

A cursory look at the activities of the Executive committee of the council of CIPPON (2008 to 2019) led by Alhaji Mohammed Lawal shows absolute lack of accountability. Alhaji Lawal and his team failed in practically all fronts in effectively leading the Institute during their tenure.

This was evident in their disregard to the tenets of the ACT establishing the Institute.

Most disturbing is the lack of accountability in the handling of the Institute finance. As a leader you have a responsibility to p ro te c t a l l m o n e y o f t h e Institute which includes members registration fees, annual dues, donations etc . A good leader is expected to hold and protect such funds on behalf of its members, ensure

judicious spending and accurate record of all financial activities carried out on behalf of the Institute.

As a concerned stakeholder in the industry after some interactions with the Lawal led Exco at the outset of their tenure I observed that this council especially Alhaji Lawal and his very close associates in the council were more interested in what they can acquire for their well-being than what they can do for the advancement of print business in Nigeria. This was also evident in the use of force by Alhaji Lawal through closure of print shops and court suits to get members and their companies to be licensed as practitioners in the industry.

I also observed that there was nothing you can lay your hands on that the council did to support the professional or economic well-being of any stakeholder in the industry.

These and several other activities of the Lawal led council pointed to the fact that there was an underlying desire by Alhaji to use the Institute as a means of meeting his personal financial needs and that of some other close associates in the Institute as long as they are alive.

In 2018, I stumbled on some financial documents of the Institute that confirmed my fears . The documents revealed enormous disregard to accounting guidelines in the handing of the finances of the Institute. It revealed how Alhaji managed the institute's fund like his personal estate .

To stem this trend, a petition was written to EFFC to investigate financial activities of the Council of Alhaji Lawal between 2008 and 2018.

During the course of the investigation by EFCC, it was discovered that the institute's fund was used to reimburse Alhaji Lawal and some council members for expenses incurred by them during the struggle for the Charter of the printing industry .This was a surprise to me because I am aware that a lot of stakeholders in the industry contributed money towards the pursuit of the charter status for the industry.

So why will a few people who have been elected by the people and saddled with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the institute for the everyone now use their privilege position as leaders to reimburse their contribution. The investigation by EFCC also revealed the use of the institute's fund for activities like payment for seating allowance for Alhaji Lawal for attending court sessions in legal cases instituted by CIPPON against companies supposed operating in the industry without being licensed. The outcome of the investigation by EFCC did not only reveal outright disregard to basic accounting guidelines in handling the institute's fund but also the use of most of the institutes fund for the welfare of Alhaji Lawal.

With these discoveries a very sane mind will conclude that the reason Alhaji Lawal is

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fighting to remain in office as President of the institute is not because he truly has the interest of members of the institute at heart but for his own personal interest. The lack of accountability exhibited by Alhaji Lawal between 2008 and 2018 is enough for him to lose the trust of members of the institute. At this point, one would have expected Alhaji Lawal to bury his head in shame and withdraw into retirement instead he is busy pursuing a lost battle to reclaim his position as President of CIPPON. The truth is that going by the findings of EFCC a case of misappropriation of public fund has been established against Alhaji Lawal and except there is plea bargain which will entail him refunding all misappropriated fund back to the institute.

The experience of Alhaji LAwal should serve as a lesson or deterrent to everyone holding the position of leadership in any association or group within or outside the printing industry.

Leadership demands certain responsibilities, one of which is accountability especially in handling the funds of the association or group.

You are not a leader to yourself or for your own interest but for the interest of the people who elected you into that position. The days where followers fold their hands and leaders get away with act of lack of accountability and disregard to laws guiding the operation and management of groups and associations is over. There are still people who represent the conscience of the people who uphold transparency and integrity in the printing industry and who are ready to use government agencies like EFCC, ICPC etc to check corruption and wrong handling of people's fund .

A word is enough for the wise .

PRINTERS CALL ON FG TO CREATE AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BUSINESS TO THRIVE Nigeria printers have called on the Federal Government to create an enabling environment for the printing industry post covid-19.

This call was made recently by the Chairman in council of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) Olugbemi Malomo during an interview session on how the Federal government can join hands with the printing industry to ensure the development of local capacity and also keep the industry alive post COVID-19.

The chairman of the institute made it clear in his statement that the COVID-19 saga has changed the country's priority from how to create jobs to how to sustain existing ones even as business will

never be the same again in the new normal.

According to Malomo, Nigeria printers are hard working citizens of this country and thus seek for government's protection for their businesses through enactment of the institute's ACT that will ensure government agencies patronise our local printers and all printing jobs remain here with us in Nigeria

be able to do business and part of what keeps the printers alive is their businesses because there is also pandemic of hunger in the country.”

Malomo went further to state that the government spends one trillion naira annually to procure paper and paper related material from overseas and this can be reversed a s i t c a n b e d o n e l o c a l l y.

When asked if there is a plan for printers post covid-19, he said; "Yes we have a plan for post-COVID-19.

We have a 32-page document for the post Covid-19 that will ensure the survival of the industry.

Malomo further stressed that steps has been taken to educate and sensitize Nigeria printers on how to stay safe during this period of global pandemic. In his words; "it is only when we are alive we will

Tabled with the question of what CIPPON duties are, Malomo said "We train and license people, without our license one cannot practice printing business in Nigeria." He stated.

Nigeria Printing Industry Not Ripe for Machine Factory – Godwin Ogilo The Managing Director of Heidelberg Nigeria; Mr. Godwin Ogilo said the Nigeria printing industry is not ripe for machine factory. He made this statement while responding to question on if Heidelberg Nigeria will have a plant in Nigeria that will produce printing machines during the recently held webinar on post Covid 19 organized by CIPPON in conjunction with DCS Integrated Media Ltd. which had major stakeholders in attendance.

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According to Ogilo, he stated that he would not promise the industry that Heidelberg will have a production plant in Nigeria soonest as that will be done at the

right time because presently Nigeria does not have the right infrastructure to facilitate plant factory.

He further stressed that the short comings of our dear country happens to be the defect as to why the factory cannot be in Nigeria currently. “Bad roads, poor power supply, instability of the economy and lot more are the reasons why we cannot have the plant in Nigeria now as a company”. He stated.

CIPPON ABEOKUTA COURT CASE THROWN OUT BY THE JUDGE

The age long adage that says; “He who must go to equity must go with clean hands”, can best describe the recent court verdict gained by the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria [CIPPON] at the Abeokuta court case where the ex-officers of CIPPON led by Alhaji Muhammed Lawal were the plaintiffs while the institute is the defendant in the case.

Information made available to Printers Digest magazine from CIPPON secretariat revealed that the Judge who was meant to take up the case declined and said that the case has already been judged by a court of competent jurisdiction.

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Recall that some ag grieved industry practitioners who came under a pressure group tagged ' C h a n g e @ C I P P O N ' d ra g g e d Lawal's led administration in March 2018 to the Federal High Court under His Lordship- Justice Buba for refusing to step down as the Chairman in council of the institute after spending close to a decade in power without any visible achievement; the court verdict on December 18, 2018, was in favour of 'Change@CIPPON' group. It was victory for all as the verdict brought forth a new and restructured CIPPON through a general election held on July 10, 2019 where Mr. Gbemi Malomo emerged winner and became the current president of CIPPON. Prior to the Election Day that brought in the current president, Alhaji Lawal and his ex-officials took to Abeokuta court to appeal against Justice Buba's judgement but unfortunately for them, the case was thrown out by the Judge on June 3, 2020.

On hearing the news of Abeokuta court verdict, CIPPON P r e s i d e n t , M r.

Malomo said the verdict was a l a n d m a r k achievement for the industry as no one is bigger than the industry and used the opportunity to appeal to every practitioner- be it

young or old, male or female to join hands in rebuilding the Nigeria printing industry especially post COVID-19 in order to make printing profitable again for the sake of everyone and that of the industry.

Mr. Malomo appealed Also, the CIPPON president encourages print industry stakeholders to use this opportunity to get the CIPPON registration form free of charge from their website – www.cippon.org or the Secretariat located on the first floor of Block B, behind Union Bank, Adebowale House, Ikorodu Road, Onipanu Bus Stop, Lagos.

Practitioners can also call CIPPON Hotline 08092CIPPON (0809 244 7766) or send a request mail to info@cippon.org to know the CIPPON Coordinator close to them.

Heidelberg's Customer Communications to Become Individual and Digital Heidelberg has already had p o s s i b i l i t i e s f o r d i r e c t positive experience of using digital channels in its presentation of the innovations that had been planned he trend towards ever shorter for this year's DRUPA. innovation cycles in the print media industry has accelerated “We will be investing more in new, very quickly. Data-based digital virtual trade fair concepts to business models are emerging in ensure closer and more individual very short time intervals and are customer communications as well constantly being modified to align as in regional events in our growth with current specific customer markets. requirements. Clients therefore This means we will be able to must be aware of recent inclination on a daily basis. This trend also affects customer communications at Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg): The Company will focus on offering more new digital options to present products and innovations.

T

High customer interest: Heidelberg Print Media Center Packaging at the Wieslochconsistently align ourselves with Walldorf site. our customers' expectations”, says Innovation offensive in packaging as a growth market – complete Rainer Hundsdörfer, CEO of interconnection of end-to-end Heidelberg. “The Innovation Week printshop processes to be seen live will now enable us to communicate f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e . with our customers as soon as T h e k i c k- o ff w i l l b e at t h e possible and to present our “Innovation Week” from October innovation offensive.”

19-23, 2020, under the slogan “ U n f o l d y o u r p o t e n t i a l ”, Heidelberg will be presenting a wealth of product innovations that focus on packaging and commercial, including autonomous printing, end-to-end solutions, Smart Print Shop and Push-to-Stop. The Innovation Week will take place via livestream as well as face-to-face at the Wiesloch / Walldorf location.

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Face-to-face dialogue will continue to be the focus at the unique Print M e d i a C e n t e r s i n W i e s l o c h / Wa l l d o r f, At l a nta , Shanghai, Sao Paulo and Tokyo, where we can engage with our customers' specific needs directly on-site. At the centres, Heidelberg offers all of its customers and other interested parties market-specific access to product and solution demonstrations, a multitude of

communications with applications specialists as well as extensive training courses. The Print Media Centers have already become established locations for customers to experience live demonstrations and for validating investments. Heidelberg generally welcomes several thousand customers annually to its own demo spaces around the world.

Covid-19 has accelerated the move towards digital and local events. Although there is no way of knowing what the impact of corona will be next year, Heidelberg has to make a decision now. So the company has decided not to participate in international trade fairs next year and will thus not be taking part in DRUPA. In 2021, DRUPA will be a very different event – global travel restrictions and hygiene regulations mean significantly fewer visitors and constraints on communication.

Traditional international trade fairs with busy booths and halls will very probably be difficult to implement and will likely lose their status as g l o b a l m e e t- u p e v e n t s f o r customers and manufacturers. As a long-time partner to DRUPA, Heidelberg will be happy to continue to offer its experience when it comes to bringing future trade fair concepts into line with new digital possibilities and customer requirements.

CIPPON Former Executives Withdraws Money from the Institute's Account for Self Enrichment Malomo.

Information made available to us shows that immediately after the court judgement, Jireh and Greys Attoneys sent an official letter addressed to the Managing Director of Zenith Bank PLC instructing the bank with order from the court and here is the quote "Dear Sir, we act as solicitors According to a reliable source with to the plaintiffs- Mr. Akintilo p h y s i c a l e v i d e n c e o f f u n d Olanrewaju & 2ORs VS Chartered withdrawal from the institute's Institute of Professionals Printers Zenith bank account shows that Alhaji Aderemi Lawal Mohamned and his ex-officials has decided to go against the court judgement despite series of official warning letters written to them to stay away from the administrative affairs of the institute.

Immediate past executives of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) have played deft ear to the court judgement that put a stop to their administrative powers in CIPPON and have continued to withdraw money from the institute's bank account for self enrichment.

Recall that Alhaji Lawal and his exofficials ruled and mismanaged the resources of the institute for 11years until they were forcefully removed from office in 2019 by aggrieved industry practitioners under the auspices of #change@CIPPON who took the bull by its horn by taking them to the federal high court under his Lordship- Justice Buba, after close to one year legal tussle, on March 27, 2019 all prayers were granted to the plaintiffs which gave victory to #Change@CIPPON group and a fresh election was conducted that brought in the current executives under the watch of Pastor Gbemi

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of Nigeria & 3ORs with Suit No. FHC/L/CS/362/18 on their behalf and definite instruction we write this letter: Please be informed that the federal high court, sitting in Lagos, before His Lordship, Hon. Justice Buba, on December, 2019 delivered its judgement in respect of the above suit and consequently made an order of PERPETUAL INJUNCTION restraining the Defendants from tampering with, drawing down, withdrawing, transferring , dealing with de pleting and/or othe r wise dissipating the 1st Defendant's finances on any bank or financial institution within the jurisdiction

of the court including but not l i m i te d to c u r re nt a c co u nt , investment account or fixed deposit account etc in whatever form" .

According a practitioner in the industry who pleaded anonymous said he was baffled when he saw recent bank statement of CIPPON with withdrawals made by the past executives and according to him, it shows how lawless we are in this co u nt r y a n d u s e s t h i s medium to call on the c u r r e n t e xe c u t i v e s o f CIPPON to bring the past executives and Zenith bank to book for going against c o u r t o r d e rs . H e s a i d Meanwhile, like the age long adage that says: 'A stubborn fly follows corpse to the grave can be likened to the stubbornness been exhibited by the past executives who have continued to go against court judgement by secretly w i t h d ra w i n g f u n d f ro m t h e industry's bank account Effort were made to reach Alhaji Lawal on telephone to hear his own side of the story why he and his past executives decided to go against the court orders but all effort proved abortive as at the time of press. ( Bank statement will only be publish if they deny your story).

Print Practitioners to Join Forces alongside Other Creative Industry Members to Alleviate the Effect of COVID-19 on the Economy

-By Emmanuel Osere

P

rint Practitioners in Nigeria have been appointed by the Federal Government to join forces alongside other creative industry members to alleviate the effects of Covid-19 on the economy.

The Federal Government recently set up a committee of industry stakeholders to advise the government on the best way to alleviate the effects of Covid-19 pandemic on the creative industry.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known during a meeting with the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON. Lai Mohammed also announced the appointed members of the committee consisting of individuals from the Nigerian entertainment

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industry - Ali Baba [Chairman], Bolanle Austen peters, Charles Novia, Segun Arinze, Ali Jita amongst others members of the committee.

The committee will advise the Government on how to ease job and revenue losses in the sector as well as to create relieve for the industry small businesses. The committee will also suggest the type of taxation and financing that is best for the industry at this time to encourage growth. They are expected to advise the Government on any other measure or measures that can be undertaken to support the industry.

Mohammed also added, “We are still expecting the representatives of the Fashion, Publishing, Photography as well as Hospitality and Travel sectors.� He said.

KAMPA SET TO REPOSITION THE PRINTING INDUSTRY POST - COVID 19 However, we must identify the best things to do to achieve the best result, we must build our confidence as there are lots of opportunities in printing business" Eleja said.

Eleja further admonished printers to make better use of their time and also p u t i n m o r e e f fo r t t o d e v o t e themselves to the printing industry as well as develop courage and confidence as that is what is needed during a time like this. He stated Kaduna Master Printers Association ( K A M PA ) s e t s t o s t ra t e g i c a l l y reposition the Nigeria printing industry post Covid-19 in order to a m e l i o rate t h e e ffe c t s o f t h e pandemic on its members.

business to succeed post COVID-19 which includes: accepting change and adapting to new ways to carrying out tasks, printers creating a to do list, reducing pressure, take time to review performance and being discrete.

The Welfare Secretary of KAMPA, Mr. Bello Ibrahim juxtaposed with CEO of Dolphin Press, Mr. Victor Balogun spoke intensely on Maintaining Printing Secrecy separately as they addressed participants. According to Mr. Bello, in our contemporary society of today it has become more challenging to maintain secrecy with print jobs because of the clamor for collaboration and sharing of ideas. He however said, that despite these challenges, printers have the obligation to maintain secrecy with their client's job, a situation where a print job gets into public domain even before it comes out of the press does not build loyalty with customers. He therefore advised fellow printers to secure access and exit points especially their production areas by installing CCTVs. He added that waste materials from the press should be properly shredded and disposed as they many times contain sensitive information that must not get into the wrong hands.

This move was made recently during a webinar seminar held for its members that centered on four topical issues affecting the industry currently which are: Strategy for Sustainable Growth in the printing industry, Creatively Positioning your Print Business, Maintaining Healthy Competition and M a i n ta i n i n g P r i n t i n g S e c re c y.

Also, a council member of Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) Mr. Niyi Adesoye one of the speakers during the Webinar spoke on the importance of Maintaining Healthy Competition a m o n g s t p r i n t e r s .

He urged all printers to have a rethink and begin to see printing as a business and not just a job. His words: "Everyone of us must have a re-think that what we are doing is not just a job, but a business. It is when we have this new mindset that we can position our b u s i n e s s e s t o g r o w.

According to KAMPA Chairman -Mr. Yusuf Eleja who spoke on Strategies for Sustainable Growth in Print Business, he told the participants that COVID-19 came as a surprise but nevertheless printers must not allow the sudden change in business derail them for carrying out their jobs in a professional manner. He went ahead to encourage members to acclimatize with the new normal no matter what it may cost them to sustain their business as things will not go back to how they use to be. His words: "Change is inevitable and there wouldn't be a problem-free life.

Adesoye also spoke on Printers having a proper understanding of how to develop their print business by counting their cost. According to him, many printers don't count their cost when they want to carry out jobs, as a In his words, Comrade Jerry Uka listed result of this they end up doing a low- the benefits printers can enjoy when quality job for their customers. they maintain secrecy with customers' job. This includes Development of Adesoye further emphasized the need brand, customer loyalty which will keep for Printers to be conscious of the customers returning when they know factors that increases cost in printing their job is secure while in our domain. such as cost of power, consumables, ''There is need for us printers to change a n d a l o t m o r e our thought pattern as this always Furthermore, Adesoye enumerated reflect in the way we carry on our five ways printers should position their business.'' He stated

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Can Online Ordering Save Print Service Providers in 2020? - By Ryan McAbee

I

n what will come as a surprise to no one, the second quarter of 2020 hasn't been kind to the printing industry's economic outlook or print companies' financials! Back in May, WhatTheyThink reported that printing shipments in the United States were down to $6.42 billion—representing an even further slide from April's disappointing results of $6.51 billion. There is no denying that the printing industry has suffered during the pandemic, but the good news is that the outlook is expected to improve soon.

Disappointing Results Some of the larger printing companies have reported their quarterly results, providing us with a better glimpse into the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent economic downturn. As shown in the Table below, the results haven't been pretty.

Table 1. Quarterly Financial Results from Major Printing Companies

According to research conducted by Keypoint Intelligence/Big Picture Magazine, the average revenue loss among US production printers of all sizes was about27% between April 2020 and June 2020—somewhat better than the printers cited in the previous table. The good news for the overall print market is that the outlook is steadily (albeit slowly) improving across the industry as economies reopen and businesses begin to navigate a path forward.

Figure 1. Change in Year-Over-Year Revenues (April–June 2020)

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This same research further showed that average revenue losses improved by 1% between January and April. Furthermore, Cimpress recently announced that its June bookings were up from April, although they were still down by-19% year-over-year.

What About Online Ordering?

During the pandemic, businesses of all types encouraged customers to place orders online for shipment, delivery, or local pickup. Many print service providers (PSPs) also explored this avenue; another recent study by Keypoint Intelligence found that 34% of PSPs encouraged their customers to place online orders during the COVID-19 shutdown. The assumption would be that PSPs with an ecommerce presence might have experience less of an i m p a c t to t h e i r o rd e rs a n d u l t i m ate l y t h e i r revenues—but did this assumption prove to be accurate? Despite the push, the results of our research found that order volumes still declined for both B2B and B2C print e-commerce. Private storefronts for B2B transactions declined by-22%, whereas open storefronts for consumer transactions declined similarly at-20%.

It should be noted, however, that these declines don't tell the entire story. Keypoint Intelligence's research data did show a revenue difference between PSPs that offered a private storefront for their customers and those that did not. Specifically, PSPs that had established an e-commerce presence reported 29% higher revenues. So although most PSPs did see a decline in orders, those with an online presence apparently put themselves in a better revenue position that helped curb the decline to some extent.

The Bottom Line COVID-19 impacted sales and revenues for all types of businesses, and the printing industry is no exception.

Print e-commerce is certainly not a silver bullet that will completely combat the business disruption associated with the pandemic. At the same time, however, the availability of online ordering has given prospects and customers to conduct business amidst governmentenforced lockdowns and continued social distancing measures. Even as the economy reopens, things are still not back to normal by any means. Fortunately, offering customers the ability to place, approve, and track orders online does appear to lessen the overall financial hit.

The Fashion Industry Faces a Step-Change Post-COVID, Say McKinsey and Kornit Digital - By Debbie Mckeegen

W

hat will the fashion industry look like post-COVID? It is broken in so many ways, and has been for some time, with the disruption of the pandemic laying bare the weaknesses and the fragility of the global supply chain.

Check out this summary of the discussion at the Kornit Digital Live Talks event, titled “Business Unusual,” featuring Achim Berg, Global Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company.

“The crisis will consolidate the fashion industry, with a Darwinian shake-out. The strong will survive to deliver the consumer a new era of fashion built for a post COVID-19 culture, utilizing technology where sustainability is a given, and where consumer expects the Industry to be mindful of its impact on the planet.” —Achim Berg

industry needs to adapt to survive and move to embrace sustainability and supply chain diversity if it is to reinvent itself and succeed.

& Luxury Group. Berg advises clients o n st rate g y, o p e rat i o n s , a n d marketing, helping executives design and optimize apparel s At the Kornit Digital Live Talks event, o u r c i n g a n d d i s t r i b u t i o n titled “Business Unusual,” one approaches. t h e m e w a s t h a t “ S u c c e s s f u l The fashion industry faces a stepcompanies will be the ones that change post-COVID. It requires new make moves early.” standards for design, supply, and retail. Shorter lead times are essential, and for an industry whose current supply chains are lengthy, the issues are pressing and painful.

The wholesale supply chain can be as long as 47 weeks, and for vertical, it is often 28 weeks. This doesn't equate with consumer behavior, and, as such, poor inventory management is killing profits, leading to landfill for unsold stock, or sell-outs and an unsustainable culture of discounting.

The COVID pandemic has delivered distress to 80% of the fashion industry. McKinsey predicts that it will take nine months to recover, impacting the industry further through to summer 2021.

The fashion industry is broken and has been for some time. As a sector, the issues are complex, and it has taken a worldwide pandemic to expose the true depth of the industry's fractured business models: bricks and mortar, once the staple revenue source for the industry, is now a sector on fire.

Meanwhile, ecommerce is booming.

Change is afoot and it can't happen fast enough!

COV I D w i l l w i t h o u t a d o u bt accelerate change and deliver an acceptance, brought about only through adversity. The fashion

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Post-COVID, what will the industry look like?

Omer Kulka, CMO of Kornit Digital, led a conversation with Achim Berg, Global Senior Partner at McKinsey & C o m p a ny a n d t h e L e a d e r o f McKinsey's Global Apparel, Fashion

Fashion needs to recreate an agile, flexible supply chain if it is to successfully navigate the future. To do so, the lengthy chains of the past must be addressed. Design must be accelerated using technology and transparency. Sampling has a huge carbon footprint and needs to switch to virtual. On the whole,

product design hasn't changed much in 15 years; yet the technology exists to digitize the workflow. Burdened by legacy systems and third-party low-tech suppliers, many companies will struggle to adapt. However, in order to survive, digitization is paramount.

Companies must reevaluate the sourcing footprint and create risk-averse strategies. This will result in a shakeout at all levels. To switch to an automated, transparent and, importantly, engaged supply route will deliver a need for reshoring and close-to-home production. The challenge is, as always, that margins are already established, and so for the “super brands,� McKinsey predicts that bulk production will remain in the Far East.

However, even here, speed of manufacture is becoming increasingly important. The lead times from the East serving the West must also be massively reduced.

The consumer is engaged by sustainable sourcing. Ondemand production will be utilized as a flexible component for the industry, regardless of location.

Furthermore, the use of AI and data will facilitate transparency and sustainable manufacturing worldwide. Re-evaluating assembly location offers new

distribution opportunities and product diversity at speed, while also delivering sustainability and reduced carbon emissions for the near-to-shore supplier. All of these properties engage an ecoconscious consumer.

In the landscape of fashion, McKinsey predicts that bricks-and-mortar stores are here to stay, currently making up 70% of the industry. But retailers need to evolve and increase profitability with new initiatives, consumer interaction, and a flexible, efficient supply chain. Online sales make up the remaining 30% of the fashion industry, and in the online business arena, it's tough to excel. Here, too, inventory management is equally critical to success. Customization and personalization are on the rise and offer new opportunities for consumer engagement and successful ecommerce.

In tomorrow's world, the crisis will consolidate the fashion industry, with a Darwinian shake-out. The strong will survive to deliver to the consumer a new era of fashion built for a post-COVID-19 culture, utilizing technology where sustainability is a given, and where the consumer expects the industry to be mindful of its impact on the planet.

Signage BRANDING DIGEST

Digital Marketing Tips

for Brands to Survive During COVID-19 If you're one of the many firms that have been affected by COVID-19, these digital marketing tips will help you keep your customers engaged and y o u r s a l e s u p .

ways to get ahead and survive the resolving their problems are easy pandemic. ways to capture leads and boost The important question here is, sales. are you one of them?

If you've just been struck with the realisation that your business is not faring well, now is not the COVID-19 has halted most time to get into a full-blown panic business activity, with many attack. being advised to maintain social distances. Governments are Even the best of companies go either limiting business hours or through rough moments. What enforcing complete lockdowns. you need to do is to realign your As the goods and services sector marketing practices with the takes a hit for the worst, buying demands of customers during power is slowly and steadily the corona crisis. dwindling.

Here are some fantastic digital marketing tips to help you survive But it's not all bad news.

COVID-19.

Brands have realised that they must be flexible enough to adapt Evaluate and adjust current instantly to new challenges if marketing strategies they want to survive. More Businesses need to identify ways importantly, they need to to connect with an entirely new recognise that there is an set of target audiences. opportunity awaiting at every Remember that you are hurdle. This positivity is the interacting with worried people, backbone that is the striving facing many uncertainties. force of success.

So, focus your efforts on those Since e-commerce was on the people who are bored, stuck at rise even before the outbreak, home, and unable to shop many businesses already had a elsewhere. Appropriate branding robust digital presence. With the and marketing campaigns can help of effective digital attract and engage these marketing strategies, there is a consumers, even if they are not light at the end of the tunnel. purchasing anything at the Even though desperate times call moment. for desperate measures, businesses can find creative Investing time and resources to identify what they need and

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Review keywords Changing market market trends and economic conditions have influenced search terms.

According to Google, search interest for the word 'coronavirus' spiked by 260% (no surprise there).

You need to research and survey keywords and ROI from specific search terms. It will give you a good insight into what your customers need from you right now.

Keep posting on social media Arming yourself with a foolproof plan on how to thrive during this crisis is essential. Social media is a great place to begin. Since many p e o p l e a re st u c k i n d o o rs , maintaining a vibrant and regular online presence is crucial, especially to inform consumers that your brand is very much alive and breathing.

Simple posts such as opening hours and availability of home delivery options help consumers find information about your business quickly.

M o r e o v e r, a n n o u n c i n g co nt r i b u t i o n s to t h e l o ca l com m uni t y or s uppor t for

Signage BRANDING DIGEST

frontline fighters is a great way to You should find ways to interact promote the empathetic appeal with a broader target audience, of your brand. possibly those who would never Be considerate in your posts, and have considered your brand your content should depict that before the pandemic. you are aware of the distress people are facing.

Up your channels of communication Today, more people are online than ever before. They are searching for information or ways to stay entertained. They also have questions about the brand or products, timings, orders, product refunds, and much more.

that people need in a way they want to consume. By improving every aspect of the user experience online, viewers will be happy to keep coming back to Think about posting new content your site. to boost brand awareness and To do that, you should have the recognition. More importantly, b a s i c s c o v e r e d , s u c h a s give consumers a reason to eliminating broken links or slow connect with your brand on a loading pages, etc. While you're deeper level. at it, don't forget to update your Depending upon your budget, Google My Business page with other options to expand your the latest information about your services, such as a change in digital footprint include: timings, take-out/to-go orders, Ÿ Adding videos to your site home deliveries, etc. Ÿ Starting a podcast

Wrapping up

Create a high-quality newsletDuring this time of distress, when A brand that doesn't connect ter. people are worried, you need to with potential shoppers or Ÿ Collaborating with influencers come off as a brand that cares. It remains quiet during these times on social media. is your chance to build a is at risk of losing customers. reputation and develop a bond Ÿ Guest writing While social media messaging with potential customers. works fine, consumers are more Ÿ Offer discounts to frontline By showing that you understand i m p at i e nt n o w t h a n e ve r, workers. the difficulties people are going demanding answers right away. Ÿ Support a local charity or through and offering advice on So some businesses may find organisation that's helping those overcoming hurdles, you are investing in AI-powered website affected by the coronavirus actively engaging with chatbots beneficial in enhancing consumers. It will open up dozens communications with their Optimise your business of avenues for post-COVID image customers. business opportunities.

P e o p l e a r e l o o k i n g f o r Revamp your marketing information, but it's not just any Remember that you are not approach information. They want it from alone. Every business owner is Before the pandemic, you must reliable, trustworthy sources. just as scared, confused, and have been working diligently on Thus, it is no surprise that uncertain as you. So it's okay to SEO and email marketing to drive reputable news websites saw a ask for help, or even make results, but maybe it's time to massive surge in their traffic mistakes. After a setback, stand up again, brush your clothes off, add something new to your during the pandemic. and start with another fresh idea. digital marketing campaign?

Your job is to provide information

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Ÿ

POST-COVID: THE NEW NORMAL IN PRINT BUSINESS

opposing countries. They are also given the opportunity to identify themselves with regard to the global world as such practically on a daily basis.

I

stayed in tune with the simultaneous mode of their perception and thinking. Today, with the instant communications, the simultaneous mode has taken the upper hand.Our consciousness is constantly adapting and morphing to the modifications of technological advancements.

Through technology, the creation of social media allows people to constantly comment on news, features, analysis, editorial, people's posts as well as creating them to share with the multimedia global world. 90% of people possess a social media account.

Social media has connected people with jobs that they couldn't have received before because of their geographic location. New social Media are increasingly connecting people throughout the world (for instance ZOOM) so that users can learn more about cultures different from their own and maintain Long before now, people primarily diverse relationships from those of officially welcome you to the new normal, an era of digitalization and high internet optimization. The world is now a global village; the entire world is becoming more interconnected as the result of the propagation of media technologies throughout the world. Contained by the global village framework, people transcend the micro- meso- and macro-dynamics of their life on a daily basis. They get involved in complex communities of networks stretching worldwide and still execute tasks without stress. The increasing density of electronically established and maintained human interconnections results in forming new socially significant clusters.

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People use technology to fit into a digital community to which they are not physically connected, but mentally connected. A good example is the zoom meeting recently organized by Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) in conjunction with DCS Integrated Media; the Zoom Meeting that kept print professionals virtually glued to their gadgets for 3 days. Each social media platform acts as a digital home for individuals, allowing people to express themselves through their various mobiles applications or internet enabled gadgets.

Preparing ahead to surmount the challenges of doing print business in the normal in Nigeria printing industry, three topical issues were the focal point of discussion at the webinar with over 60 participants per day. Justice was done to these topics- Supporting Print Business in the New Normal, Customers Expectation in the New Normal and Re-Inventing Your Printing Press Offering in the New Normal.

The Webinar was targeted at the press owners, machine manufacturers, distributors and clients of the industry with key decision makers amongst other participants which made the webinar engaging and very interactive.

learn, re-learn and unlearn” is a human attributes that ensures a constant learning process that never stops until man breaths his or her final breath on earth. As long as man lives, he continues to learn and this learning process for entrepreneurs should be optimally utilized to the maximum. As we live through this phase, the language we employ matters. It helps to shape and reinforce our understanding of the world and the ways in which we choose to approach it. The analytic frame embodied by the persistent discussion of the 'new normal' helps bring order to our current unrest, but it should not be the lens through which we examine today's crisis. Far from describing the status quo, evoking the 'new normal' does not allow us to deal with the totality of our present reality.

It is noteworthy to know that the Nigeria printing industry is gradually acclimatizing itself with the changes brought in by the corona virus pandemic; a better number of practitioners in the industry have not only accepted the new changes but also come to terms that the new normal has come to stay.

C u r r e n t l y, t h e p r e s e n t administrators of CIPPON headed

by Mr. Gbemi Malomo and his council members are working assiduously to ensure the industry strategically repositioned for the benefit of everyone in today's Covid-19 pandemic has unleashed world. changes that seemed unthinkable Despite effort put in place by the within few months. Beyond covidinstitute to educate CIPPON 19 lies vast opportunities to members and other practitioners explore and building a better postin the industry on the benefit of COVID world require mindset that tuning into today's world method can think out of the box. of running a print business in a The bodies guiding the industry professional manner, some of has done their part in putting Nigeria printers have remained together a webinar capable of dormant to the old ways of shaping the printers mindset, it is r u n n i n g t h e i r b u s i n e s s e s . left for the practitioners to take on Nevertheless, these set of people different strategies discussed to have been reached out to during know the best approach that will the webinar to always run their enable their business to thrive in business with the current trend in the new normal. order to avoid ending up in As forerunners in Nigeria printing obscurity in the nearest future. industry, Printers Digest Magazine has itemized the major highlights The age long adage that says: “We

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during the webinar to guide you in the new normal of today's business world.

Find below highlights of the webinar: Ÿ CIPPON to engage with

stakeholders more professionally and strategically Ÿ CIPPON should put a system in place to deal with printers who engage in Sharp practices. Ÿ CIPPON should act as reference point for accessing print jobs and patronage amongst printers. Ÿ CIPPON cannot regulate price of products across the nation nor control competition but can ensure that machineries and infrastructure to reduce price of print products are in place. Ÿ CIPPON can initiate joint importation of consumables as a way of reducing cost of consumables thereby making printed materials more competitive. Ÿ CIPPON should set up a tribunal

as contained in the ACT where grievances can be resolved among print business practitioners without having to visit the law courts except where the issue is beyond the purview of the council. Ÿ CIPPON should provide platforms and opportunity to train Printers for continuous capacity development in the industryopportunities abound in

government agencies like Nigeria government stimulus package for Security, Printing and Minting SME. Nigeria e.t.c Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS want better Ÿ OEM representatives in Nigeria understanding on the difference have innovative ideas for between membership and stakeholders' post COVID-19 licensing. ranging from online support services to prompt delivery of Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS expecting products and services and many CIPPON to create clusters in the more. industry and use them to address price war amongst members. Ÿ OEM representatives in Nigeria a r e i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS want unity in establishment of a cluster for their the industry for the common sector. interest of all printers so as to easily project the business in Ÿ OEM representatives in Nigeria Nigeria. want CIPPON to put a system in place to check members from Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS suggest print defaulting in payments when job sharing as a way of building given payment plan for easy capacity and keeping print jobs in acquisition of machines.

Nigeria. Ÿ OEM representatives in Nigeria want CIPPON to identify a leasing company that can support and aid easy acquisition of printing machines in Nigeria.

The pandemic has unleashed a world of uncertainty, one can hardly envisage what the next month will bring forth, not to mention the next business year.

The question is how do we Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS willing to work navigate through the new normal with CIPPON to regulate print business world and still be business in Nigeria. successful and relevant? I believe a few guiding principles can help you Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS need more through this time of uncertainty: information about the CIPPON ACT which should be made public for its members. Ÿ Plan for the Unthinkable : Unthinkable scenarios are no Ÿ STAKEHOLDERS desire to unite longer dismissible; they should be together to stop publishers and a core part of your strategic government from taking printing planning process, as a matter of jobs overseas. unthinkable is the trend and the order of the day now. Be prepared Ÿ S T A K E H O L D E R S e x p e c t for the unthinkable and how to palorward to be part of attack situation as they

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metamorphose. Ÿ Scan and Wait: We will likely see

huge swings in public-health outcomes, economic recoveries, investor sentiment, political stability, public policy responses, and more. Continuously monitor the situation and scan widely, identifying the important metrics and tipping points for your organization. Ÿ Be Flexible and Swift: The

challenge is to build flexibility, so you can move quickly when the time is right. Changes catalyzed by the crisis should facilitate this, whether the move from physical to virtual or the creation of more flexible supply chains. Adopting these shifts will not only help you weather the crisis; it might also give you more flexibility to respond quickly in the world that lies beyond it.

Nigeria @

The Printing Industry In Retrospect & Way Forward -By Juliet Nnajiofor-Uyi In less than 24 hours, Nigeria would be marking her 60th independence anniversary. It is indeed a time for celebrations and great feat as a country. 60 years of existence as an independent country is symbolic and for us in the printing industry, it is a wake-up call for everyone of us to join hands with Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) to work towards making printing business profitable again Many years ago in the history of Nigeria printing industry, the sector was vibrant and one of the major source of income for government aside oil and agriculture. It had big impact on the economy as we had three paper mills -Nigeria National Paper Manufacturing Company Limited, Iwopin, Ogun State, for production of Bond paper, Nigeria Paper Mills, Jebba, Kwara State to produce Kraft Paper, Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company Limited, Olu- Iboku in Akwa-Ibom, State to produce Newsprint. The mills were established to bring down the cost of educational books, produce newsprint and Kraft paper and curb importation of papers,for local consumption which had neighbouring countries benefitting from it as they visit Nigeria ( Shomolu- a printing hub in Lagos) to carry out their printing jobs. Today, the once vibrant sector has become a sleeping giant in Africa and if nothing is done, we might end up with a story like this "there was once a printing industry in Nigeria" The mills established within the 1960's to 1970's performed optimally except The Nigerian Paper Mill, Jebba in the 1980's as pulp and paper importation reduced drastically as a result of high capacity utilization in the mills. In 1985 and 1986, capacity 24A PRINTERS DIGEST

utilization in Nigerian Paper Mill was 62.3% in 1960's and 66.17% in the 1960's. In 1996, The Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company Ltd. (NNMC), Olu

Iboku also stopped production leading to complete dependence on importation of paper and paper products. In 2006, the mills were privatized, and, currently more than One Trillion Naira is expended on importation of paper products annually and over two million metric tonnes of paper worth are imported annually on raw paper and paper in the form of finished goods into Nigeria annually.

For instance, through the late 19th century and the early 20th century, Nigerian newspapers played a politically progressive role in public life. In the early 1930s, many Lagos-based publications were regularly p u b l i s h i n g e d i t o r i a l s c a l l i n g fo r N i g e r i a n independence and printing was integral part of the struggle. Today, the fate of newspapers has become more uncertain with the rising costs of publication.

In the last three years, the circulation of newspapers in Nigeria has dropped by 70%, if issues affecting local

capacity building is not strictly addressed, barely three newspapers will be able to survive the publication of

their hard copies in the next five years.

Marcel Mbamalu of The Guardian Newspaper once told OBG that there is no newspaper in Nigeria that has a daily circulation figure above 300,000, which competes poorly to key international markets. For example, in the UK there are five newspapers that have a daily circulation in excess of 1m copies, despite having a population one third as large as Nigeria. In October 2016 two of the country's leading papers, Leadership and The Punch, laid off more than 100 members of journalism staff, pointing to rising operating costs in the sector. One month later Emeka Ejide, publisher of the national newspaper Market Voices, called for the federal government to bail out Nigeria's domestic print media.

Printing industrygeneratesmulti trillion Naira in the entire value chain which includes: Paper and Paper converting, Commercial printing, Packaging printing, Security printing, Book production, Graphics communication, Textile Printing, Digital Printing, Flexography & Gravure Printing , Signage, Printing equipment and consumables dealership and Print Consultancy. Each is present in every local government in Nigeria and the second largest employer of labour aside agriculture and third highest contributor to the economy outside oil and Agriculture and yet rarely viewed as an integral sector of the economy.

Currently, the sector employed more than 10 million Nigerians in its entire value chain and the potentials are yet untapped to its optimum performance, thereby failed in contributing its quota to the growth of the economy.

Despite the huge potentials of this industry, and constant appeal of the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria (CIPPON) established

by Act 24 of 2007 - The body responsible for the regulation of the entire value chain of printing to the government, the sector has been slow to find recognition. As a consequence, we have continued to develop other countries capacities with our nonreform policies as it negatively affects the sector.

The discovery and exploration of oil fields in the early

The above sad situation of Nigeria newspapers depicts how bad the printing industry is suffering. The solution to our collective survival is the development of local capacity, while we are pursuing the need for government to recognise the importance of our industry to the socio- economic development and come to our aid, we are urgently calling for: 1. Nigeria printing Jobs to remain in Nigeria 2. Printing Jobs for Printers only.

3. Local Capacity Development MUST for the moment take front seat We are appealing to the government to come to our aid because we know that government is the highest buyer of print through her agencies and such procurement appeared lopsided as many unlicensed individuals gets these contracts that are specific for licensed printers and allied industry as stipulated in our ACT and the jobs are majorly executed abroad at the expense of local capacity development.

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1970s led to a booming economy. Oil quickly became the dominant sector of the economy, accounting for more than 90 percent of exports and providing the federal government with 80 percent of its revenue.

Despite the flow of oil wealth in the past, foreign debts kept increasing; the economy has continued to suffer as a result of other key sectors of the economy such as printing sector been neglected, couple with stringent trade controls, increase in import duties on papers,

machinery and other print consumables while educational printed books overseas enjoys zero duties, rationing of foreign exchange with the rate being grossly overvalued and the list is endless. The above mentioned distortions in the economy had reached an alarming proportion.

As a country, we are yet to recover fully from the 2016 recession that forced many printing companies to shut down resulting to loss of thousands of jobs. We acknowledged the fact that Nigeria like other countries have been hard hit by the impact of the COVID 19 crisis, which is manifest in the spate of contractions and recessions already recorded by Q2, 2020.

Despite these challenges, we continue to pursue longterm local capacity building as a reform process for the industry in order to move forward. The first step to recovery will be to ensure that we retain existing jobs and to adequately achieve this, local capacity building is paramount for long term growth process. Nigeria is a big country and with government reform efforts, we believe there are good chances of strong growth and development going forward in the printing industry.

For us, slow recoveries in the larger economies will continue to constrain the pace of growth in the sector amid long-delayed reforms inclusion and implementation but we are optimistic that if the government will hear us out and with matter of urgency implement executive order No. 5 of President Muhammed Buhari's administration to give priority to the development of local content, Nigeria's economy will bounce back with the huge potentials embedded in 26A PRINTERS DIGEST

the printing industry value chain.

In the past, we have taken numerous to get the government to pay adequate attention to our yearning. On November 27, 2020, the Nigerian printing industry in collaboration with the federal ministry of industry, trade and investment organized a conference for printers all over the country to discuss issues bothering the growth and development of the industry, also, we have produced a 52 pages post conference report proffering solution to local paper production, we have eengaged Ministry of Industry, trade and Investment on the need to include printing government backward integration policy. We believed the outcome of that event will change the long-term fundamentals of the sector and get strong support from the government to make printing profitable again in Nigeria.

As we celebrate 60th years of Nigeria's independence, it is paramount for the government to look inwardly and see the huge potentials of the Nigeria printing sector of the economy.

ON THE BASIS OF THE ABOVE, WE HEREBY URGE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO: Ÿ Set up independent commission of enquiry to verify the above mentioned claims Ÿ Implement and enforce executive order no 5 in the Nigeria printing industry. Ÿ Work with her agencies such as BPP and UBEC to implement executive order 5 in the printing industry. Ÿ Compel UBEC to review her book production contract award procedure to include a tripartite agreement between Government (UBEC) publisher and Printers to ensure that books are printed locally. Ÿ Support CIPPON proposed Paper Summit where Government and all stakeholders will come together and fashion out way and road map for local production of paper in the short, medium and long term that will bring down cost of paper, free up foreign exchange and generate employment. Ÿ Revisit the post conference report on paper production and implement recommendation. Ÿ Government should ensure that MDAs don't ignore stakeholder in finding solutions to “our” problems Ÿ Formulate a National policy on the printing and allied industry that will allow for investment and capacity development that will enhance local production and position the Nigeria Print industry for exporting books to other Africa and other parts of the world like India and the South East Asia are doing. This is a huge potential contribution to the GDP of the nation.

Senate Looks Into Privatization of Nigeria Dilapidated Paper Mills

T

he Nigerian Senate has called on the Chartered Institute of Professional Printers of Nigeria

The decision of the Senate resulted to a motion titled “The need to revive the Moribund Paper Mills in Nigeria.” The motion was led by Senator Christopher Ekpeyong, PDP, Akwa Ibom North West and supported by 25 other members of the senate.

Presenting the motion, Senator Ekpenyong said “The Senate notes that the three Paper Mills Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC), Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria National Paper Manufacturing Company (NNPMC) Ogun State and Nigeria Paper Mill (NPM) Kwara State were established by the Federal Government in the 1960s and 1970s to manufacture Corrugated Cartons,

(CIPPON) and Nigeria Customs Service to scrutinize duty on importation of published books and papers in order to make printing of jobs locally to be advantageous as against overseas printing and importation of papers.

This demand was recently made as the Senate committee embarked on the major cause of privatisation and mismanagement of the moribund Paper Mills in Nigeria that employed over 300, 000 Nigerians in the past.

According to report made available to us, the Senate was troubled by the recent data confirmed by the Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) that Nigeria lost more than N800 billion naira annually to paper importation.

Sack Craft Paper, Kraft Paper, Linear and Chip Board as well as fluting media to meet the country's needs in writing and printing papers.” He said According to him, these Paper Mills were privatized

by Government as a result of inadequate funds to keep them working. "The Senate is conscious of paper production as one of the major forms of industrialization and educational development in Nigeria. The waning of these mills have kept our country in huge income deficit as we depend on imported papers". Senator Ekpenyong stated.

Furthermore, he reminded us that those paper mills did not only provide papers but also provided jobs and an investment of more than 100 billion naira before the privatization policy by the government.

FAE Limited, Nigeria's Corporate Paper Packaging Company With Focus on Envelope Manufacturing and Customisation has Restated Its Commitment to Innovation as a Key Driver to Staying Relevant In The 21st Century.

Guinea, Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leonne, Cote D'Ivoire, The Gambia, Mauritania, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau among others, FAE Limited boasts of being the largest envelope manufacturer, with over one hundred thousand premium products daily.

Envelopes and letterhead to match with security centered watermark was manufactured to covey style, professionalism and uniqueness of brand; while Tamperproof is FAE's solution to the challenge of theft, fraud, and insecurity of valuable documents in Nigeria. The tear resistance envelope with a red mark that reads opened once flap has been tampered with has helped to curb the abuse of trust that has taken over most organisations.

O k e o w o s t r e s s e d t h a t FA E envelopes and customised letterheads are in the market to guarantee confidentiality and peaking yesterday at a virtual security for correspondence of meeting, it's Managing organisations and individuals Also speaking, Chief Operating Director and Chief Executive O f f i c e r, A d e l e k e Officer, Princess Funmilayo Adeleye, stated that the Okeowo Bakare, stated that the company remains company, founded over 40 years consistent on the path of ago has been able to remain c o n t i n u o u s relevant through its unwavering improvement, timely commitment to innovation, performance and technology and design. “Our customer satisfaction. customers are our first point of “While FAE can boast of reference. We listen, we pay servicing 80 percent of attention to their needs and we let all Nigerian banks, this drive the designs of our several government products. With over 40 years' agencies bodies and experience, FAE Limited combines parastatals, examination basic local knowledge and bodies and even INEC international expertise with stateamongst others, we of-the-art, high-quality printing continue to grow thanks technology for the production of to the confidence our our envelopes which are second to wonderful clients and none,” Bakare said. distributors have With a distribution network that especially with its latest first class invested into our business,” spans several African countries and tamper proof brands widely Adeleye said. including; Ghana, Cameroon, accepted in the market.

Benin, Liberia, Togo, Mali, Senegal, According to her, First Class

S

Sealed Air creates chlorine-free shrink bags

S

ealed Air has developed chlorine-free vacuum shrink bags to help food processors and retailers improve food safety and sustainability in a circular economy.

The new CRYOVAC brand OptiDure Bags (ODF4005) are made from a carefully selected range of resins to deliver a highly protective chlorine-free EVOH barrier. This is designed to extend shelf life, reduce waste and safeguard food during distribution, storage and retail.

Total packaging material weight is reduced by more than half in the high-tech generation of multilayer, coextruded shrink bags, which enables operators to lower carbon footprints by up to 39%, compared to standard bags.

Jos Van den Block, food proteins packaging director at Sealed Air, commented: “The principles of a circular economy are increasingly becoming standard practice. Consumers across Europe are demanding less waste and better use of resources.

They want cleaner, safer and more sustainable ways of living, which influences how they buy food.

“CRYOVAC brand OptiDure Bags (ODF4005) have been designed for food processors and retailers to meet these market demands. The chlorine-free EVOH barrier offers excellent resistance to oxygen and other potential contaminants such as moisture,

humidity and aromas. This protects food quality and safety, extends shelf life and minimises waste.”

Food integrity is further protected by the outstanding shrink qualities of OptiDure, as well as its strong abuse resistant material. Together, these prevent rips, tears and punctures, whilst the shrink bag's reliable pleated heat seals stop leaks and sealin freshness and flavour.

Van den Block added: “The benefits of OptiDureÔ extend beyond its protective qualities. Its overlap sealing properties, combined with automated highspeed packing systems, stop bags from sticking together. This can reduce levels of extra work caused by seal failures by up to 45%, helping improve efficiencies and further eliminating waste.

Additional benefits are delivered by the shrink bag's bright, glossy and transparent material. This improves pack appearance and enhances the consumer brand experience to encourage purchasing.”

OptiDure Bags work with a range of heat-sealing vacuum packaging systems, such as shrink bags or ULMA Flow-Vac. Sealed Air said they are perfect for packing fresh meats and poultry, smoked and processed meats and cheeses.

Van den Block concluded: “CRYOVAC brand OptiDure bags represent another innovative step forward in providing food processors and retailers with modern packaging solutions that perform on many different levels. Market demands and expectations of packaging are becoming greater and it's more important than ever for food packaging to deliver both outstanding safety and sustainability benefits.”

Health is Wealth-byEmmanuel Osere

H

ealth is Wealth' is a common Proverb which means a state of well being, free from disease[s]; be it physical or mental. Although majority of us see Wealth as

having lots of money or lots of properties, but this limits the scope and vision of the term 'Wealth', though, in the conventional sense and dictionary definition, it is very much apt. But if we broaden our thinking and look beyond our limited vision towards Wealth, we will see and witness that wealth is not just only what is being said about it; wealth does not equates materialism.

is wealth in the sense that it has a value which is practical, respected and admired in various social environments.

Good Returns: Health is one investment which has lifelong lasting returns. This is evident from the fact that – People affected with bad health often die at a relatively young age. They have been spending all their time in acquiring wealth and ignoring health. It is true that death is inevitable and unpredictable but the odds of dying early as the hands of a disease increase more in the absence of a healthy lifestyle.

Conversely speaking a healthy person is more likely to live longer and reap the benefits of his hard work not only in the long run but also the short run. A healthy lifestyle will keep him away from most diseases and they might even Moreover, you can also create pass on their wealth to survivors more wealth with the application of and heirs and even benefit them. unconventional wealth. Amongst various forms of such Ÿ Healthy Population Contributes unconventional wealth comes t o w a r d s H e a l t hy E c o n o my : health which is by far the most Healthy Population directly important wealth one can have. contributes towards a wellThis brings into light, the fact that developed economy of a country. wealth is actually dependent and It is very easy to understand this. If linked with Health in more than one the employees of an organization way, a simple example is that- if you are unhealthy or diseased, the are physically and mentally ill, you will not be able to work properly or not work at all. And if you cannot work in the desired manner you will not be able to acquire the desired amount of wealth.

To better understand this, let's briefly observe our own lives.

Some of us study in school, college or have a profession and the knowledge and experience gained Some facts about health are as in this environment is also termed shown but not limited to as “Wealth”, though you cannot these facts below: touch or feel knowledge and experience, like currency. Here, it Ÿ Health is an Investment with

profits of the organization will come down or remain status-quo.

This will not only affect the organization it will further affect the revenue generated from the

Ÿ country. A country's economy can benefit only

when its supporting structure is in good condition.

How to make Health Count as Wealth?

Making health count as wealth is not impossible, though it can be hard. But then, there is no harm in doing a thing which can be done easily.

Ÿ Believe in the Adage: First and foremost to work on making health count as wealth, you have to believe on the adage itself.

Believing and reaffirming this notion is the best way to make 'Health is Wealth' your Mantra. Belief in something makes that phenomenon attainable and also motivates your efforts. Listen or watch healthbased programs or literature to invoke and inspire a desire to achieve your aim. Consider good health as a pathway to success in all walks of life. Belief is further strengthened by action taken on the initiative.

Ÿ Act on the Advice: One of the cheapest ways to pursue a good health is to wake up early in the morning and simply walk, run or jog. The only investment one requires is a good pair of shoes. As for mental exercise, one can meditate by sitting and closing eyes and think of nothing for 15-30 minutes for a start.

Ÿ Firm Commitment: To maintain a healthy lifestyle, one needs a firm commitment, not for a week or a month, but for a lifetime. Initially, we are all pumped up for a week or just for a day. After that, we are back to our inactive lifestyle. Taking care of one's health should be a continuous process and not broken into parts. We need to follow a routine of exercises and proper food.

To make a firm commitment, never give up, always try again and again; no matter how many times you might fail. Make a regular exerciser your motivator, observe and follow the pattern, if necessary put your own ideas into it. Additionally one can join a friend or an acquaintance in a fitness regime, this way you will get the stimulation to remain committed because now you are a team and responsible for each other.

Ÿ Change Your Bad Routine:

Fine-tuning your lifestyle greatly affects your health in a positive manner. Sometimes we just need to change our routine affairs to be healthy, like sleeping early and waking up early. This routine itself creates sufficient time to create a balance in our activities.

Then we can change our diet pattern and quantity to suit individual needs. It is not necessary to eat whatever the whole family eats. Eat what suits you the best based on consultation with a nutritionist or doctor. Ÿ Seek Professional Help:

Some individuals require a certain push to pursue a healthy lifestyle. This effort can be emphasized by Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Fitness Expert, Rehabilitative Professionals, Fitness Coach etc.

Many people have no idea how to start or what to do, it is here that professional help comes in handy and appropriate. Spending money on health itself motivates us to be regular in our professional routine. This is because we are aware and conscious of the fact that we have invested some money and wouldn't want it to waste.

Interview/ SPECIAL REPORT

Lagos State Deputy Governor Host

XHS Nigeria Team on 21st Century Smart Office Delivery -by Juliet Nnajiofor-Uyi

H

is Excellency, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State government - Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has expressed

to partner with the company and encouraged Engr. Okunade to meet and propose solutions that will be beneficial to the state through the Hon. Commissioner

production press. “We are ready st to provide a 21 century smart office solutions (digitization of documents, Scanners, Multifunctional Printers, Industrial and high-end production devices) to the corporation”. He stated Lagos State government's promise came after the recently held five days physical and virtual open house exhibition of XHS Nigeria Ltd., sole distributors of Xerox print equipment and consumables, Document Solutions provider in Nigeria in partnership with Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) themed “21st Century Smart Office Exhibition” at the Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu ICT Centre, Alausa, Lagos.

contentment to the management of XHS Nigeria Ltd. for consistently delivering quality euipment and solutions to the Lagos Examination Board for the past 14 years which he said has enhanced the productivity of the state board and encouraged the XHS team to keep up with the good work.

The exhibition was organized in for Science and Technology, order to address the pressing Hon.Hakeem Popoola Fahm and challenges of having 21st century his team smart office solutions like Lagos State. It showcased Xerox array of Re s p o n d i n g , E n g r. O ku n a d e 21stcentury office solutions and expressed his team's gratitude to had in attendance at the opening the state government for giving c e re mony - T he H onourable XHS Nigeria the privilege to share Commissioner- Ministry of Science in its responsibility of executing the & Technology (MoST); Hon. state T.H.E.M.E.S. agenda by Hakeem Popoola Fahm, The providing Print Management solutions across the MDAs to support e-Governance, reduce cost of printing and enhance productivity.

Dr. Hamzat made this statement recently during a courtesy visit of XHS Nigeria Ltd. management team to the State House led by the MD/CEO - Engr. Femi Okunade on delivering 21st Century Smart Also, he informed the Deputy Office Solutions to Lagos state.

Governor of his team willingness to partner with the State Printing The Deputy Governor expressed Corporation by deploying the readiness of the state government w o r l d c l a s s X e r o x I r i d e s s e

Interview/ SPECIAL REPORT

achieved with Xerox enhanced document m a n a g e m e n t s o l u t i o n s a n d i n fo r m a t i o n management system. The application of Xerox equipment on retrieval cannot be overlooked, Lagos State Government (LASG) has the advantage of buying, using and sticking to Xerox Products; because Xerox is a trailblazer and foremost document solutions provider”.

Permanent Secretary Ministry of Science & Technology; Mr. Segun Adeniji, Senior Special Advisor to the Governor on Science & Technology, Mr. Saheed Balogun, Mr. Yinka Soroungbe; Director ICT, Ministry of Science & Technology, Mr. Kadri Samsideen, Unit Head of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre and many more senior staff of Lagos State Government who joined the exhibition virtually During paper presentation, The Honourable Commissioner - Ministry of Science & Technology; Mr. Hakeem Popoola Fahm said that Xerox is partnering with MoST to braze the trail in deploying the RIGHT TECHNOLOGY to meet the POST COVID-19 office work infrastructural requirements of Lagos State MDAs. According to him, the exhibition of document technologies was to empower the over 57,000 employees of Lagos State MDAs to work SMARTER in the office environment and even remotely anytime from any part of world workplace using Xerox Connectkey Technology which is reshaping the 21st century office into a SMART OFFICE. “The exhibition displayed globally tested XEROX hardware and software solutions that would enable our MDAs to seamlessly generate DOCUMENTS and turn them into SMART formats that can be moved across our MDAs LAN, WAN & CLOUD network to deliver SMARTER SERVICES to achieve the T. H. E. M.E agenda of the administration of His Excellency - Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu “ Hon. Fahm said.

Also MD/CEO of XHS Nigeria Limited, Engr. Femi Okunade in his address said “the objective of smarter workforce and smarter environment can be

Also, General Manager, Sales and Marketing Mr. Femi Abidoye said that Xerox has award winning products & services globally; with unparalleled technology that will uplift the already smart environment provided by Ministry of Science & Technology to LASG. Xerox Smart Office Solutions include - XEROX CONNECTKEY TECHNOLOGY that helps businesses to discover new ways to work smarter and create the most productive workplace in today's business world. It stops the user from thinking about printers as standalone but as task-specific workhorses.

X e r o x C o n n e c t K e y Te c h n o l o g y - e n a b l e d multifunction printers are the hub of office productivity ecosystem, bringing together all devices, delivering an intuitive user experience, providing mobile and cloud connectivity, complete security and access to value-extending services right out of the box. It does more than print, scan or copy.

Among other products Xerox exhibited is Xerox Docushare software for Electronic Document Management Solutions.

Other solutions by Xerox are Managed Print Services, Xerox Digital Press, Xerox Business Services, After Sales support by trained engineers, etc.

MD/CEO of XHS Nigeria Ltd. Engr. Femi Okunade and Deputy Governor of Lagos State Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat

CBN spends N75bn to print banknotes in 2019 to the abolition of the time-expired policy of the Bank and upward review of penalty charges from 50 per cent and 200 per cent to 100 per cent and 400 per cent for penalty charges on shortages and counterfeits, respectively, in deposits by DMBs deposits.

This measure encouraged the DMBs to strengthen their internal control m e c h a n i s m . ”

By Elizabeth Adegbesan The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, said it spent N75 billion to print banknotes in 2019. This represents N11.5 billion or 18 percent increase when compared to N64 billion spent in 2018. The apex bank also deployed $3.95 billion to Bureaux De Change (BDCs) and pilgrim operations, as well as, payment of estacode and personal travel allowances to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) during the period.

Meanwhile, the CBN said it discovered N365.5 million as shortages during the processing of deposits from twenty-one (21) Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) and Bankers Warehouse PLC during the period.

The apex bank disclosed these in its Currency Operation Department Annual Report for 2019. The regulator stated: “The total cost incurred on printing of banknotes

amounted to N75.5 billion in 2019, compared with ¦ 64 billion in 2018, indicating an increase of ¦ 11.5 billion or 17.93 per cent.

“A total of $3.95 billion was procured in 2019, out of which $2.58 billion was supplied to Lagos branch and $1.38 to Abuja branch, for distribution to other branches. This was used to fund BDCs and Pilgrim operations, as well as, payment of estacode and personal travel allowances to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).”

According to the report, “In 2019, a total of N365.5 million was discovered as shortages during processing of deposits from twenty-one (21) DMBs and Bankers Warehouse PLC. Of this amount, ¦ 273.3 million or 74.77 per cent were from four (4) DMBs. “The volume of shortages in 2019 decreased significantly by ¦ 71 million (16.27 per cent), from ¦ 436.5 million in 2018. The downward trend was due

The report stated further: “In 2019, a total of 260,651 boxes of banknotes of different denomination, valued at N1.53 billion were processed, compared with 266,578 boxes of banknotes valued at N1.56 billion in 2018. This represented a decrease of 5,927 boxes or 2.22 per cent or N28.2 million. “At end of December 2019, a total of 157,217 million pieces or 157,217 boxes valued at N814.59 million was disposed, compared with 181,054 million pieces or 181,054 boxes valued at N915.08 million disposed in 2018. The boxes and value of disposed notes in 2019 decreased by 23,837 boxes and N100.5 million, respectively, compared with 181,062 boxes and N915.08 million, disposed in 2018. “A total of 865,775 pieces of various denominations of mutilated banknotes valued at N45.99 million was audited, disposed and replaced in 2019, compared with 59,939 pieces valued at N39.24 million in 2018. This indicated 1,344.43 per cent and 17.20 per cent increase, in volume and value terms, respectively. “

Artificial intelligence and the Printing Industry.

Artificial intelligence and its impacts in the Printing industry shall be the focus of our discussion in this edition of your favourite Printers' Digest.

million images of say for example cats. In comparison, a human baby is able to recognize a cat after having seen just two or three images.

What is Artificial intelligence? By way of definition: Artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, unlike the natural intelligence displayed by humans and animals. Wikipedia

It is worthy of note that, artificial intelligence programs have no notion of good and evil, and are unable to set their own goals or to b e i n h e re nt l y i n n ovat i ve o r creative. In order for artificial intelligence to be able to reproduce an Artworks such as painting in the style of Van Gogh or a sonata that sounds like Mozart, the algorithm would first need to be nourished by the artist's works in order to copy their creative scheme. And yet none of this is true creation.

Artificial intelligence in the printing industry has witnessed several years of rapid growth since the year 2000, many thanks to the abundance of data and the massive reduction in the cost of computing power which can be Still, there is no denying the facts, attributed the emergency of that there are applications of internet giants globally. artificial intelligence at all levels of We must not forget that artificial our economy and society. In the intelligence is a mathematical printing industry, AI is playing p r o g r a m o f a n a l y s i s a n d p ro m i n e n t ro l e s a n d i t h a s c o n t i n u o u s p r o c e s s o f revolutionized the way most optimization of data. Artificial printing operations are done.

Intelligence alias AI is very powerful, but ultimately cannot be compared with how the human brain operates. A simple way to explain this is that in order to create a powerful program (deep learning or neural network) capable of recognizing images, the AI algorithm must be provided with between 100,000 and 1

For example in modern Prepress system, many of the repetitive tasks that hinder speeds and accuracies have been taken over by AI. In the recent times, we have influx of none core professionals taking up Prepress, Press and Postpress jobs in the printing industry today and with artificial intelligence at their disposals many

of them are excelling in these jobs.

Another example, let us take the latest Heidelberg Speedmaster series, there are several AI facilities in every compartment of the printing machines that aids even a novice printer to be able to navigate and run the printing press successfully.

In the Speedmaster series, there is the intellistart- this is step by step guide that help the operators run the press systematically. There are so many other Artificial intelligence features such as: Preset 2.0, Wash Assistant, Powder Assistant, and Color Assistant: these Artificial Intelligence (AI) features available in the new generation of Speedmaster presses reduce manual interventions to a m i n i m u m a n d i n c re a s e t h e competitiveness of print shops.

When it comes to defining ink curves, washup programs, dryer settings or powder quantities, an intelligent, self-improving algorithm will always be able to take decisions faster Artificial Intelligence features in the new Speedmaster.

The Artificial intelligence features embedded in the new generation of Speedmaster presses rely on intelligent and self-improving algorithms that can automatically

configure complex production parameters which previously, had to be manually defined by “humans�.

This is how these AI features work: during production, all settings and quality measurements are first collected and then automatically evaluated. Regular data patterns are identified and their effect on the production result is learned.

The insights are used to optimize the efficiency and quality of upcoming production.

precision during ink metering. The i n k zo n e s a re a u to m at i ca l l y adapted to the status of the ink fountain liner. The intelligent algorithm learns autonomously by performing target/actual comparisons of the settings and automatically specifies new ink zone characteristic curves after a job finishes. Color Assistant Pro avoid mistakes due to manual handling and achieves increased performance independently of the operator.

A u t o n o m o u s p r o c e s s Optimum powder setting: Powder Assistant. optimization: Preset 2.0.

Available mainly in the feeder and The innovative Powder Assistant t h e d e l i v e r y o f t h e n e w achieves consistent print quality Speedmaster presses, Preset 2.0 with less powder and therefore also is set of Artificial intelligence less cleaning time. The intelligent features that makes decisions tool independently selects the i n d e p e n d e n t l y a n d l e a r n s optimal presetting based on the continuously. It uses the data pool color assignment and substrate. of the installed base to detect patterns, identify potential, and generate basic settings (default values) that increase the efficiency of print production – autonomously and without human influence.

Intelligent washup programming: Wash Assistant.

Up to now, the operator decided subjectively which washup program to use. With Wash Assistant, the machine makes the decision. The intelligent Wash Assistant chooses the objective best washup program based on the ink, substrate, and other parameters and more efficiently than a human.

positive aspects (health, safety, taking care of repetitive or tedious tasks) and more worrying aspects (risks of infringement of individual liberties in particular). The changes emerging are potentially destabilizing and require us to approach them with serenity and pragmatism, rather than alarmism or cynicism. We must take into account the reality of the development of artificial intelligence with a clear mind.

It has become imperative for every business leader to begin to interrogate about the impact of artificial intelligence on their s e c t o r o f a c t i v i t y, o p e n opportunities for the company to improve efficiency, create new services, and simplify the lives of its employees and customers.

They must also consider whether the company has the right skills and adequate training programs.

Every Printing company of repute must set up a successful program to raise awareness about artificial intelligence among its managers.

I am of the opinion that both governments and private enterprises should continue to invest in artificial intelligence, but do so in a way that is fully conscious of the human implications. One way would be to apply some of our mathematical fire power to modelling the possible consequences of AI on our economic and social future.

For Preset 2.0, data from over 600,000 print jobs was analyzed using an algorithm and continuously improved. An improvement in productivity of up to five percent is possible on Artificial intelligence (AI) simplifies the basis of the new characteristic workflows, enables more accurate curves and settings alone. prognoses, and creates new, dataSelf-learning color setting: Color based business models. It enables faster decisions on the basis of a Assistant Pro. wide range of data and real-time Thank you The Color Assistant Pro software Sir. John O. Onuegbulem (Your permits continuous, precise information as well as prognoses Guest Columnist) optimization of the ink presetting beyond human capabilities. on the pre ss and absolute Like any technology, AI has both

ON THE RUNWAY WITH TEXTILE PRINTING.

By Akin Oduwole, CEO @ Technology Global Services

The same way one of my industry mummies and mentor, Mrs. Folorunso Alakija brought in super creativity in the 80's with her supreme stitches, her brand was embraced by the high and mighty in the society. Mrs Alakija was appointed Vice President and later became President of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), an association that is still active today where she remains a Life Trustee.

The association helped other brands like Dakova, which also became a household name by the late 80's.

I

t was in 1997 that legendary film maker Tunde Kilani reminded the world of the oversized sleeves with high waist wrappers which stopped at knee length in his world class Yoruba movie – Oleku. I have heard my grandmother talk about how the fashion in their own time was far better than what was obtainable in the 90's just before she passed on to the great beyond. As I learnt from her, Shade Thomas – Fahm (I hope I got the spelling right) was a pioneer who defined the trends of the fashion industry in the 60's, her boubou's are still being restyled today.

By the 70's fashion in Nigeria had become funky, the afros, the bell bottom trousers, it was the government of General Olusegun Obasanjo that banned the importation of “ready-made” – the name given to foreign brands – clothing's. Designers like Lanre Ogunlesi with his sofisticat brand leveraged on the ban to provide an alternative for those who only wear imported clothes.

Like Shade's Boutique of Mrs. Thomas – Fahm, trends again was created by Sofisticat.

I like the way Chanel Coco puts it,” Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Truth be told Fashion will be quite boring without Textile printers.

Let us say everyone likes a style, but colours and patterns help tell the story of each individual style.

Fashion designers today are still defining and redefining the fashion trends and they are eagerly waiting for textile printers to help create much more possibilities; Apart from the apparel fashion world, the sport industry is estimated to worth $500 billion and they need sport apparels which are mostly printed.

Although there seems to be great restrictions on events at the moment due to the outbreak of corona virus, but the soft signage and display graphics sector is another viable application. Cloths are replacing SAV for some reasons.

Carpet and rug printing is another, and this is sort of linked to Home textile – furniture, curtains, bed sheets are all printed.

There are some fabrics made for non- aesthetics purposes, here the textile is about function. Some application of Technical textile as they are called range from Automobile applications to agro textile (used for crop protection), protective clothing (like firefighting clothing) and medical clothing Of course I didn't speak to the trend in the 90's because that was the military era and the then

vibrant textile industry was gradually extinguished, many professionals relocated abroad and the hardship that came with that season killed a lot of

need uniforms, school inter house sport uniform, offices and factories all need uniforms.

If we are to talk about fashion history particularly in Africa, it will be the difference between covering ourselves in leaves, to the various styles of flowing garments and to those leggings and sneakers‌ many factors contributes to the shift in fashion, this factors are not limited to politics, culture, technology, climate changes, social norms, family value, peer pressure, trend and so on and so forth, one thing that we will never take out is the presence of beauty, radiance and colours even across many generations.

So, for sure Textile Printing will remain relevant! But if you are in doubt of what technology to deploy for any specific application then lets chat‌ The aim of technology is to solve problems, should you go conventional? Or should you go digital? What myth have you been sold? Direct to garment (DTG) is the new cool for printing Tshirts, its flexibility and short learning curve are its greatest benefits meanwhile many have burnt their fingers because they didn't know how to approach this business, let's talk to demystify some thoughts and misconceptions, for instance many don't even know the difference between a DTG, white toner and sublimation technology so they mix up the technologies and misconstrue the expectations.

creativity.

This is the year 2020, things have changed again, some professionals are back home, plus covid-19 is teaching us to convert all we have learnt from globalization, and bring them home to develop localization. Soft fashion has become the trend today, triblends are appearing and we have a new challenge of how to print on them. Streetwear which is a style of casual clothing started globally in the 90's but is now in its full bloom. E-commerce is also driving the trend, so we are required to print unique designs on fabric and it should be done pretty fast.

How about the uniform application? School uniform, hospital uniforms, law enforcement agencies also

Let me say again that conventional is NOT old fashioned, in any printing space, conventional is to help meet the needs for long run jobs. In textile printing also digital printing becomes expensive if we want to use it to achieve long runs. This is simple logic and here is it; we always need a preparation time which cost money in conventional textile printing but as the volumes roll on the press that preparation cost becomes insignificant, so if we are to print 50 linear meters of fabric, digital will be cheaper than conventional. The earlier we realize that no two businesses can meet the same need the better for us to realize that conventional and digital will co-exist throughout our life time.

Have a lovely week, as we professionally bring back TEXTILE PRINTING to the runway of lifestyle and trends!

How to Stay Informed in a Remote World

S

omeday we will reflect on how the world changed in 2020 with perspective. Right now, as businesses continue to adapt to new ways of engaging employees and customers, the single focus is how to get the work done.

determine what is the best fit for their production

At the start of 2020, in-plant print mail operations planned to make investments in technology. They intended to attend in-person conferences and trade shows to review requirements and compare solutions from a variety of suppliers. Those global gatherings for interactions with recommendations from industry colleagues were cancelled with the hope that they would happen within a very short period but the global pandemic never allowed such gathering to take place.

The question is how to make the right decisions for new environment.

Seek online content Many of us miss the in-person industry gatherings to share information, see technology up close as well as visit with friends and colleagues. Without any live events until 2021 we will all need to try to attend more online events to learn, engage and make decisions about inkjet investments. The OEMs, suppliers, and software companies are making every effort to provide relevant online content and events to support the industry.

equipment and technology without live events. Should organizations continue to postpone capital investment decisions? As we move into the last quarter of 2020 it is time to make many decisions.

Here is a list of ideas to help you through this year: Do the Research The industry has moved to sharing information in virtual events of every flavor. The number of webinars and online sources has increased dramatically since the beginning of March. Equipment manufacturers, software companies and media companies are attempting to educate and engage customers about their solutions. People seeking information about new technology bear a larger burden to identify trusted sources and make the investment of time to learn about equipment and technology. And often without seeing solutions running live, managers need to

Reach out to your sales or service contact at any supplier and they will provide industry resources, case studies, white papers, and other content to assist you in your quest for information and solutions. Online content

requires some work on your part to research and attend webinars. And then review, digest, and analyze the content to get the pertinent information to make the right decisions about new technology and solutions.

Learning is a journey; enjoy the ride- By Lois Ritarossi

Managing Change in the Workplace in the New Normal-By Norah Okpara

W

i t h t h e a d ve nt o f t h e work settings. In uncertain times, 1:1 weekly check-ins and virtual Corona Virus Pandemic, the leaders should not avoid tough mentoring; working from home buddy-matching; and through way we live and work has changed conversations. deploying virtual moments such Now is the time to use technology as morning coffee, lunch catch ups to enable human connection and team virtual happy hours. amongst your workforce – turn on video in meetings where possible Managers and leaders should start and authentically share personal all interactions with a focus on the stories of insights from your own person, their well-being, and remote working experiences. needs, using pauses and playbacks Explore new tools and apps that to increase reflection and confirm bridge the gap between humanity understanding. significantly. The truth is that, we and the working world and reserve may never have 'the Normal' and times for unstructured virtual Listen and Collaborate the earlier this truth sink within meetings where teams can connect People want their voices to be heard. Adjusting to remote and share personal updates. the better for us. operations necessitates the evaluation and optimization of key With the disruptions caused by By doing so you can courageously processes, policies, and meetings. the pandemic and gradual easing ask for the top questions on of the lockdown it has become people's minds and proactively People need to be seen and heard even more imperative for print hold meetings and webcasts where a s t h e y n a v i g a t e t h e n e w businesses to redefine how they you can respond to their questions challenges of working from home. manage their workforce with the real-time.

Active listening and continuous attendant change to get maximum feedback go hand-in-glove and are productivity and efficiency as they Connect and Personalize c r i t i ca l co m p o n e nt s o f t h e work remotely or in the office.

People want to feel that they migration to remote-work matter. It starts by intentionally e nv i ro n m e nt s . Q u i c k p u l s e i Though managing change at a n c r e a s i n g c o n n e c t i o n a n d surveys can be deployed to time like this can be challenging communications that focus on monitor sentiment and spot yet you can successfully navigate r e l a t i n g , e m p a t h i z i n g , a n d emerging issues, while through it with the right approach. belonging. The connection and randomized checks-ins and relationship-building activities that requests for feedback on new Lets dive into discussion! processes can provide context into bottlenecks and roadblocks.

Lead the change Print business Managers and Feedback received must be owners have a responsibility to ac tive ly m anage d for te am lead change in their organization members to feel that their voices rather than remaining with the are being heard. Changes that status quo and expecting things to have been implemented as the return to normal. People want to result of feedback should be retain humanity in remote work. specifically identified in Role modeling by team leaders will communications and celebrated happen in person at your have a greater impact on shifting during team calls and check-ins. workplace can be adapted to a mindsets and behaviors in remote When feedback has made an remote working environment using

impact, team leaders should recognize contributors, thus ensuring the perception that not only is input heard but valued.

Aside from implementing suitable solutions, Morgan also highlighted the importance of collaboration, measuring the right metrics, leading by example and listening to the voice of the organization, among others. Morgan explained the challenges in applying them and practical ways to overcome them.

“Collaboration should never be seen as an additional task or requirement for employees,” Morgan wrote. “Instead collaboration should fit naturally into their flow of work. For example, with my virtual team of ten employees turning on Skype every morning and looking at what's going in Asana is how we all s t a r t o u r d a y, i t ' s n o t a n a f te r t h o u g ht o r s o m e t h i n g additional we do … it's how we get things done.”

He reiterated that collaboration is an ongoing initiative and goes beyond simply rolling out initial guidelines, thinking that it will

stand the test of time. It's all about businesses can leverage on for adjusting and being agile to their workforce to come out changes. stronger on the other side of the Covid 19 crisis. While machine operators would need to be in the “It's important to remember that office for printing jobs to be done collaboration is perpetual,” Morgan w ro t e . “ I t ' s a n e v e r- e n d i n g Graphic designers, marketers can e vo l u t i o n a s n e w to o l s a n d work remotely. The Print business strategies for the workplace manager would only require a lot continue to emerge. This means of communication with this that it's important for your workforce using automated tools organization to be able to adapt like ……to drive productivity and and evolve as things change. Keep a efficiency. pulse on what's going on in the i n d u st r y a n d i n s i d e o f yo u r Adapt to changes: rather than organization. This will allow you to expecting things to return to innovate and anticipate. So many organizations were caught off guard by this pandemic because they had neither the tools, the training, the leadership, or the guidelines to help make flexible work successful.”

Realign your strategy to maintain productivity and efficiency across your workforce: The Covid-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for print businesses to evaluate, strategise and realign so that the necessary practices are in place to respond to these uncertain times. While your organisation should ideally have an IT foundation in place there is now an added layer to focus on as a result of the remote work mandated by Covid 19. Print

normal, print businesses must anticipate and adapt to change, reinforce their IT infrastructure or create one where it is nonexistent if they want to maintain p ro d u c t i v i t y a n d eff i c i e n c y seamlessly. It is imperative that print businesses in the New Normal build a foundation that enables them to be responsive to the need of their clients and be agile during uncertain times and that includes their IT infrastructure, data gathering, content management and communications to employees.

The more printing firms adapt to this changes the more they can make Smart, informed decisions that empower employees in todays' dynamic world.

How COVID-19 Is Changing Consumer Patterns-and Why Marketing Strategy Should Change With Them

By Heidi Tolliver-Walker

M

arketers are anxiously awaiting the world to “return to normal,” but what does normal look like? Even when consumers start

buying again, there may be radical changes in product categories, segmentation, and product positioning that will outlast the pandemic. Do your clients know what they are? Are they prepared to adjust to them?

How often have you heard someone say they are looking forward to when the world “returns to normal”? The challenge to that question, of course, is what normal is going to look like. Once we are on the recovery side of the COVID-19 pandemic, do we expect things to return to the way they were? Or will we return to a world that has fundamentally changed and are marketers prepared to adjust?

Influence Central, a professional consumer influencer organization, has been surveying buyers throughout the pandemic and documented some interesting changes in consumer patterns. Certainly, many of these patterns may reverse on the other side of the pandemic, but it would be foolish to think that all of them will. It's not just how much consumers are buying, but what they are buying and why.

Marketers who understand these changing patterns are best positioned to create offers that reflect the new segmentation and personas that are emerging.

Scrolling through Influence Central's blog, here are some examples of what I'm talking about.

Brand Loyalty Brand loyalty is taking a hit. For example, only 12% of consumers say they are “very willing” to pay for a preferred brand name label vs. a generic one, and 37% actually favor generic brands. Whether this shaking of brand loyalty is due to supply side issues or financial pressures, the point is that there is a wide open door for prospecting right now. If consumers cannot find their regular brands on the shelves or cannot afford the ones they normally buy, they become open to messaging from new brands and those they might not have previously

creative with what's left in their freezer or pantry between those “fewer and farther between” grocery store trips.

considered. It will be interesting to see whether prospecting ticks upward during this time.

Coffee Crazy With more people working from home, new trends are emerging in categories like coffee. With fewer people hitting the drive-through on their way to work, for example, this opens new doors for coffee brands and “home brew” appliances. More than half of those surveyed (56%) are brewing more pots and cups of coffee at home than before the pandemic began. If they aren't buying Starbucks on the way to the office, then perhaps they are more willing to splurge on designer brands than they were. Or maybe they could be convinced that they now have time to indulge their senses by grinding their own beans.

Are your clients looking at how the pandemic is changing their customers' shopping patterns? Not just how much they buy, but what they buy and changes in how they interact with once familiar product categories?

Re-Engaging with the Lost Art of Cooking Another example of a changing product category “cook at home.” With more time spent at home, people are re-engaging with this lost art. Ÿ Since the pandemic began, 88% of people have been cooking more meals at home. This includes 49% who are cooking meals from scratch and 23% who are willing to spend more time doing it. Ÿ 17% are dividing and conquering meal responsibilities with their spouses or have reversed areas of responsibility. Ÿ 67% say the pandemic has forced them to get

In this environment, marketers need to change how their messaging is delivered. Who is doing the cooking and how the decisions regarding meals are made can be changing. Personas and messaging may need to be refined. But don't assume that the changes are the same in all consumer categories. Many consumers now have less time, not more, as they try to balance a new work-home responsibilities as their children are at home throughout the day.

These are only examples, and the changes are as many and varied as there are market verticals and

product categories. Each vertical and category has been affected in its own way. Do you know what these changes are? Do your clients know?

If your clients are waiting for states to reopen sufficiently to crank the marketing engines back up again, but aren't considering the changes to their m e s s a g i n g , s e g m e ntat i o n , a n d p ro d u c t positioning resulting from radically changed home and work environments that have occurred in the meantime, they are only seeing half the picture. If their marketing is going to achieve the ROI they're hoping for, it's important to help them see the whole one.

Textile Chemical Market Size to See Excessive Growth to 2026 2017. The large market share of this segment is due to the extensive use of textile chemicals in outerwear and sportswear.

Apparel production is a springboard for national development. It is expected to remain the single-largest and fastest-growing market for coming years.

Global Textile Chemical Market was sized US$25 Bn in 2017 and is anticipated to reach US$31.90 Bn by 2026 at a CAGR of about 2.75 % during a forecast Period.

Global Textile Chemical market is segmented by fiber, by product, application and by region. In terms of fiber, Natural and Synthetic fibers. Coating & Sizing Chemicals, Colorants & Auxiliaries, Finishing Agents, Surfactants, Desizing Agents and Others are the product segment of the textile chemical market.

Fertilizers, Industrial application, Food Additive, Pharmaceutical a n d O t h e rs a re a p p l i cat i o n segment of Textile Chemical market. Geographically into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and Latin America.

In terms of consumption in 2017, Asia-Pacific accounts for more than 45% of the market followed

by North America and Europe. The high consumption of textile chemicals in the region is attributed to rapid industrialization, improving economic conditions, supportive government policies, availability of cheap labour, and increasing exports. In addition, growing population, per capita income, and changing lifestyle in the region are driving the textile industry, which in turn, support the textile chemicals market.

Textile chemicals include a vast line of products ranging from highly specialized chemicals, such as flame-retardants, pH regulators to relatively simple commodity chemicals, like bleaches. They are an integral part of various commercial and industrial sectors, where any sort of fabric is used in operation.

BASF SE, Bayer AG, Dow Chemical Based on Fiber, Synthetic fiber is C o m p a n y , H u n t s m a n estimated to lead the overall textile International LLC, and Sumitomo chemicals market in 2017. The large Chemicals Co Ltd, Kiri Industries share of synthetic fiber is due to L i m i t e d , K e m i r a , O m n o v a their wide usage in different Solutions Lubrizol Corporation, applications, better performance, Evonik Industries, Archroma, and cost-effectiveness. Moreover, Tanatex Chemicals DowDuPont, synthetic fibers are more durable DyStar Group, Wacker Chemie AG, than natural fibers and can easily Rudolf Group Bozzetto Group are key players included in the textile pick up dyes. chemical market.

The apparel segment was estimated to be the largest consumer of textile chemicals in

SHORTENED DATES FOR DRUPA 2021: APRIL 20 – 28 The duration of D R U PA , t h e world's leading trade fair for p r i n t i n g technologies, will be shortened from eleven to nine days and will now be held from April 20 – 28, 2021 at the fair grounds in D ü s s e l d o r f, G e r m a ny. T h i s decision is in response to the wishes of the partner association V D M A ( P r i n t i n g a n d Pa p e r Technology Trade Association) and many exhibitors to make their trade fair presentation more efficient and to concentrate visitor traffic in a targeted manner. This is also in reaction to any continuing travel activities and restrictions.

fewer visitors from overseas will be able to travel to DRUPA 2021, we consider a reduction from eleven to nine days to be sensible in order to manage visitor flows more efficiently. At the same time, the duration of nine days ensures that running machines can still be shown, which is a unique selling point of DRUPA,” explained DRUPA President Claus BolzaSchünemann.

Despite some Corona-related cancellations, the current booking status remains at a high level with over 1,500 exhibitors and a net hall space of more than 140,000 square meters. This once again underlines the industry's confidence in the international appeal of the event and the need for face-to-face meetings, acquisition of new customers and live presentation of

“Since we currently assume that

running machines. “Many of our customers also see it as their own responsibility to strengthen the industry and provide important impulses personally on site,” said D R U PA D i r e c t o r S a b i n e Geldermann.

In order to guarantee a professional and safe trade fair as usual, DRUPA not only adapted the general conditions but also relies on a hygiene and infection p ro t e c t i o n c o n c e p t t h a t i s continuously adapted to the latest Corona protection regulations and official requirements. Sabine Geldermann stated: “ The character of DRUPA in 2021, due to t h e p a n d e m i c a n d hyg i e n e regulations, will certainly be different from what we are used to, but it will continue to make a very important contribution to the economic recovery.”

Global Graphics Powers Miyakoshi's High-Speed Digital Press Japanese manufacturer looks to roll out Global Graphics' technology across all digital presses Global Graphics Software has licensed Fundamental to Miyakoshi Printing Machinery Co. Ltd. to create a new software e n g i n e fo r t h e M i ya ko s h i MJP20AXW high-speed, highresolution digital press for commercial and transactional applications. The new engine will be available in presses launched at the end of this year and Miyakoshi plans to adopt it across its entire

digital fleet.

print production workflow from j The Miyakoshi MJP20AXW is a four o b s u b m i s s i o n t h ro u g h t o colour duplex press which will delivering data directly to the operate at 160meters/min and Miyakoshi print head electronics.

1200dpi resolution. The new G l o b a l G ra p h i c s ' Te c h n i c a l e n g i n e w i l l b e d r i v e n b y Services team is working alongside Fundamentals which bundles Miyakoshi engineers on the together Harlequin® Direct from project. the new Direct graphics pipeline announced by Global Graphics in April this year with PACKZ and CLOUDFLOW from Global Graphics' p a r t n e r c o m p a n y, H Y B R I D Software. The result is a powerful pipeline that links together seamlessly all the processes in the

2020 FESPA Madrid Cancelled and FESPA 2021 Moves to Amsterdam

FESPA Global Print Expo schedule to hold from October 6-8, 2020 in Madrid has been cancelled as a result of the continued public health risks and business disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic.

has been dynamic and unpredictable. While many regions are now gradually emerging from lockdown, at this point in time we cannot be confident that we could match exhibitors and visitors expectations of a FESPA event if we were to go ahead in October this Arrangement has been made by FESPA organizers to host their next flagship international event at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam, from March 9-12, 2021 and will co-locate FESPA Global Print Expo with European Sign Expo and Sportswear Pro. FESPA CEO Neil Felton explains: “In March 2020 we took the decision to delay FESPA Global Print Expo by six months in the face of the advancing pandemic and its implications for our exhibitors and visitors. Since then the development of COVID-19

year.”

He continues: “Early March 2021 offers the strongest alternative, giving our exhibitors and visitors time to recover and ourselves time to

prepare fully for any new operational requirements.

Feedback from the market indicates that, having faced the considerable commercial challenges of 2020, our community will welcome FESPA Global Print Expo in March 2021 as an important platform for business recovery and forward progress early next year.”

Amsterdam is a popular and proven destination city for FESPA events, having played host to successful exhibitions in 2006, 2009 and 2016.

Its accessibility via road and rail from so many areas of northern and central Europe will be an advantage for many visitors at this time.

This new March 2021 edition of FESPA Global Print Expo will replace the originally scheduled 2021 event in Munich, Germany. FESPA will return to Munich in 2022.

Fujifilm Announces Strategic Partnership with Permalite to Support Synthetic Printing Solutions

FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division announced a strategic partnership with Permalite, Inc., the largest inkjet coating manufacturer in the United States recently based out of Austin, Texas.

The partnership will enable Fujifilm customers to obtain access to a new collection of specialty print media for the Fujifilm J Press 720S and 750S including synthetics such as PVC and Polypropylene, two of the most commonly used synthetic media, as well as fine art canvases and adhesive backed vinyls.

with customers and producing highquality and specialty printing products with the most advanced technologies on the market,” said Ed Pierce, product marketing manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Graphic Systems Division. “Through our partnership, we will bring together the c o m p l e m e n t a r y s t r e n gt h s o f Fujifilm's digital press technologies with Permalite's finest inkjet media, maximizing our offerings to our customers.”

With more than 50 million sq. ft. of annual coating capacity, Permalite is known for producing a broad range of award-winning films, textiles and papers that set the global standard “Fujifilm and Permalite share a for printable substrate excellence. common mission of collaborating Through the strategic partnership,

Fujifilm customers will be able to select from a variety of finishes along with various substrates. The introduction of the new Permalite synthetic and alternative media range will provide additional value to the ever expanding J Press customer installation base.

“We were immediately impressed

by Fujifilm's latest generation of digital presses with the J Press 750S,” said Chris Cudzilo, VP of sales and marketing, Permalite. “The speed, accuracy and simplicity it showcases is totally focused on the future for printing. When we designed the media portfolio to match both the J Press 720S and 750S needs, we knew it had to be built to match or exceed these qualities for a seamless experience and beautiful results.”

One-on-One with Dr. Daniel E. Itanyi, of Department of Printing Technology, College of Science and Technology Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna in 1983, was with a commercial press here in Kaduna. I worked with t h e c o m p a ny f ro m 1 9 8 3 t o December 1984. Our ultimate goal was on productivity and customers' satisfaction. From January 1985 to 1999 (13years) I was employed by Kaduna Polytechnic as a Higher Superintendent of press where higher productivity and timely delivery was our standard. We handled all printing matters for the school and external bodies. I was in charge of the Printing Unit of the school.

Q: Why printing?

A: I never knew anything about Printing neither did I apply to study Printing Technology. I came into printing by accident. I applied for Estate Management but when I got my admission letter, I was offered Printing Technology and my late father encouraged me to study the course which I did and today, I am happy I took my father's advice. I realised that Printing is the mother and a gateway to disciplines in human development. Studying printing postively changed my life. I derive satisfaction in this noble profession.

Q: Do you have practical knowledge and experience in the printing profession?

A: While in school, we had more practical classes than the theory a s o f t h e c o u rs e . M y f i rs t employment after NYSC program

Q: As a council member of CIPPON, has your position impacted positively in the academia?

A: We are trying our best. The best of CIPPON has not been felt not only in academics, even in the industry. We have a long way to go.

That's my sincere assessment. For n o w, w e a r e m a x i m i z i n g opportunities. Our performance is below expectation.

Q: As the HOD of Printing Technology Department, could you kindly share with us your achievements and plans to improve the standard of the students professionally?

A : We a r e n o t m a x i m i z i n g opportunities. One of the major landmark achievement during my tenure was to bring the management of Kaduna Polytechnic close to the Department in terms of our capacity to handle all Polytechnic

Printing jobs internally at a competitive price, cost saving and security of the Poly technic documents that could be seen in a number of printing firms. In view of this closeness to the management, I convinced the then Rector Engr. Dr. Danjuma Isah to allow us participate in DRUPA 2008. So, the Rector and I attended DRUPA 2008 for 28 days.

Our presence was highly commended by most companies that participated in the program.

Like I said earlier, the department was saddled with the responsibility of producing all the printing works especially - Answer Scripts printed in hundreds of thousands all through my tenure as HOD. In addition, during my tenure we were able to secure Accreditation for all our programs (ND, HND, Post HND) and permission to run Certificate courses for those who may not be academically suitable for the ND program. Aside this, I was able to

draw the attention of management to renovate and partition our offices to make them academically friendly. On human capacity development, more than eight of my staff were recommended and enlisted for further studies up to Masters and PhD levels, (two of my staff that I recommend had their Masters Degree studies in the US), some of the junior staff were recommended and enlisted for ND & HND programs in the Department. During my tenure, there was no single exam malpractice recorded against us because I established a zero tolerance for Exam malpractice.

This led to high academic standard and several of our students came out with distinction during this period. The printing department became the most talked about in the Polytechnic.

do you think the industry will overcome such challenges?

A: I did a study on Printing SMEs in Kaduna between 2015-2016. From my findings, Printing SMEs in Nigeria are faced with monumental challenges ranging from human capacity in form of entrepreneurs' Q: Kindly share your opinion skills to run their businesses. Most on the current challenges Practioners in the industry do not facing the industry and how h a v e t h e p r e r e q u i s i t e training/educational background to successfully run a printing firm.

This is quackery and may not take us anywhere. It's like asking a lawyer to take a patient to the theater for a surgical operation. Other challenges include: the importation and use of obsolete equipment to deliver jobs which is an impossible task. Inaccessibility of operators of Printing SMEs to adequate finances and special loans that attracts low interest rate constitutes a major cog in the wheel of progress to the industry. Another area of challenge is in the inability of Practioners to

draw up a business plan that is capable of stimulating growth in the industry. The industry requires attention from government in terms of formulating policies particularly on importation of the raw materials and machineries to favour the industry. This is premised on that 90% of materials used in the Printing Industry are imported. There is also the need to give adequate attention to this industry because it is major catalyst for industrial, educational and civilized development of any given nation including Nigeria.

Without Printing there will be no learning. There should also be deliberate efforts on the part of Practioners to update their knowledge in Printing courses.

Today, we have close to six higher institutions spread across Nigeria that are offering various programs in Printing Technology. Another major problem of the industry is predicated on the Practioners to offer competitive prices for their products. They should take advantage of their proximities to acquire a recognized certificate.

As mentioned earlier, it's only in Printing that you will see persons who read physics. Chemistry or mathematics that will be dictating and directing the affairs of the industry. This is an abnormality and needed to be corrected if the industry must grow. Most in this category pursues money to the detriment of standardization.

Another challenge faced by the industry is the taking away of jobs outside the shores of Nigeria.