Poised to engender development in the area of agricultural production and processing, Odua Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ODUACCIMA) has concluded plan to organise an agro-allied-based international trade fair that will promote mass agricultural production and processing as well as technology-based storage facilities.
The agro-allied trade exhibition, which will be organised by ODUACCIMA, governments of all the South West states in conjunction with the Federal Government, according to the organisers, will attract over 5,000 exhibitors and participants from the agro-allied and maunfacturing companies and will be held in November 21 – 30, at the Trans Amusement Park in Ibadan.
Speaking at a press conference heralding the fair, Olaitan Alabi, chairman, 2014 Odua International Trade Fair Planning Committee, said the trade fair was tagged to the promotion of mass agricultural production and processing in order to revitalise and complement the efforts of Federal and South West governments in agriculture. Alabi jointly addressed the press conference with Alaba Lawson, national president of ODUACIMMA.
Lawson said the chamber, having prompted by the mission to support government in aggressive agriculture-based as well as micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs) development, decided to organise such an economic initiative.
“ODUACCIMA, an association of all the chambers of commerce and industires of the South Western Nigeria comprising Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states, is organising this trade fair in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria and all the Odua South West governments,” the chairman stated.
The fair, which has the theme: “Promoting Mass Agricultural Production and Agro Processing as Panacea to Unemployment and Poverty in Nigeria,” was part of ODUACCIMA “resolve to complement the efforts of various state governments in their efforts to revitalise and bring back the lost glory of agriculture through annual international trade fairs,” Alabi said.
He further stated trade fair “will bring together from Nigeria and abroad, stakeholders in Agriculture industry such as farmers, agricultural research scientists, manufacturers of agricultural and agro-Industrial tools and machinery, storage experts, food processors, importers and exporters of raw materials and finished products.
Also speaking further, Lawson called on the South West states’ governorments who jointly own ODUACCIMA to put aside their political differences, which she said, are temporary and face the reality of the permanent economic ties that bind all of them together in the economic zone.
She, however, declared that adequate security measures would be put in place while the fair lasts, saying that protective and preventive medical equipment will also be on ground to checkmate the spread of Ebola Virus Disease and other contagious diseases and viruses during the trade fair.
RAZAQ AYINLA
