34th Enugu International Trade Fair begins

The Federal Government has promised to continue to create an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive in the country.

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo stated this while declaring open the 34th edition of the Enugu International Trade Fair.

He further said that the government had commenced the adoption of policies aimed at promoting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Adebayo, who was represented by Sunday Jaja deputy director Multi-national at the Ministry, said that the private sector currently represents 96 percent of the businesses in Nigeria and contributes 75 percent of national employment.

He also laid the foundation of an ultra-modern computer village within the trade fair complex.

“The sod for the Enugu computer village, a multi-billion naira project guaranteed to change the landscape of Enugu and increase commercial activities to a level never before envisaged,” he said.

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According to him, “This growth in this sector is directly correlated with growth in the economy as a whole and in the level of employment throughout Nigeria.”

He however, congratulated ECCIMA for organising the 34th edition of the fair as it has witnessed tremendous improvement and numerous innovations introduced.

In his speech, President of ECCIMA, Jasper Nduagwuike said that the chamber under the 16th Council was proud of how far it has come as it could only get better before the end of the year, assuring that a full exhibition centre will be standing on the trade fair ground before then.

Nduagwuike said the pavilion may not have been completed the way it was planned, but that any unbiased observer will congratulate the chamber for having come this far in spite of the most daunting challenges.

“It gladdens my heart that this occasion is holding despite the onerous odds that challenged it. These odds include the political situation in the country, the misadventure of the cashless policy which threw spanners into the works of every project,” Nduagwuike said.