The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has introduced the Africa Hall initiative to host African businessmen and women as part of the programme for the upcoming 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair.
Gabriel Idahosa, chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, said the objective of the Africa hall initiative is to bring exhibitors from African countries together in order to showcase their goods, services, arts, and crafts.
“We believe Africans must grow trade and investment among themselves. The LITF platform is a great opportunity to do this. Therefore, in pursuit of this objective, we will have the Africa special day at the fair,” he said.
On foreign participation, Idahosa said the LCCI has received interests from over 25 countries to participate in the 2019 LITF, adding that member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) like Benin Republic, Cameroon, Ghana, among others, have expressed interest. He also said that the foreign exchange earnings received this year have surpassed the record of the previous year.
The trade fair has over 15 partners and sponsors, including the United Bank for Africa (UBA) as the headline partner and its official banking partner. Airtel Nigeria is the official telecommunications partner; Max.ng is the official on-demand motorbike hailing service partner of the fair, while the African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) is the pan African partner, among others.
Idahosa said that by the 2nd of October, the media center and customer care centers would be available in order to fully plan and prepare for the event.
Emphasising the major highlights of the fair, Idahosa, who is also the vice president of the LCCI, stated that the 2019 trade fair will be different but better than the previous years as its many sponsors and partners have taken it up to play innovative roles and as well encourage all the participants with various incentives.
Toyin Seriki, head, SME segment for Airtel, said apart from providing fast and reliable internet connection at the fair, the micro, small and medium scale enterprises will also be given due attention as participants of the fair through the introduction of affordable internet plans to run their businesses.
Tony Anele, UBA’s group head, consumer and retail banking, said the bank will provide a discount of 20 percent on all its products and services for all the participants at the fair while helping participant MSMEs with business advisory services.
Anele said, “As the official funds manager for the trade fair, a branch will be available at the fair which will provide all the products and services the bank has to offer as well as simplifying payments with different currencies.”
The 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair will commence from Friday the 1st of November toand end on Sunday the 10th of November at the Tafawa Balewa Square Lagos in an exhibition space of about 40,000 square meters and 2,000 expected exhibitors out of which 200 are foreigners from about 16 countries.
Gbemi Faminu
