…To focus on local products
The 35th Enugu International Trade Fair has been scheduled to hold from Friday 5th April to Monday 15th April, 2024, at the Permanent Trade Fair Complex, off Enugu-Ontisha Expressway.
The leadership of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) in a press briefing called on the government of the five South Eastern states to support and promote Enugu International Trade Fair as the only international trade fair complex in the zone like what is obtainable in Kano and Lagos.
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Announcing the Trade Fair with the theme ‘Promoting Made-in-Nigeria Products for Global Competitiveness,’ the newly elected president of ECCIMA, Odeiga Jideonwo in company of his council members said that the fair would be officially declared open by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite.
“The preparation and planning for the hosting of this 35th edition started as far back as the beginning of the 3rd Quarter of last year and have made meaningful progress towards the successful hosting of the fair,” he said.
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According to him, the harsh economic situation last year as a result of cashless policy and national election effected the fair, strategies are in force to ensure that this year’s fair are well attended.
The president also said that the fair has been strategically re-engineered in such a way that it would have meaningful and positive effects and outcome for all the stakeholders, particularly for exhibitors and participants.
He further said that despite the insurance cover for the participants, the Chamber has decided to make the fair toll-free to attract some participants.
“Efforts are being consolidated towards bringing back to Enugu International Trade Fair, a number of big companies that stopped participating in our Fairs due to poor exhibition infrastructure at the complex. These companies have decided to join ECCIMA in its move to use PPP arrangement in developing the Enugu International Trade Fair,” he said.
The Chamber also as part of value addition and enhancement to the Fair is in partnership with the Enugu State government to make available about 1000sg Marquee Air-conditioned tent to provide space for participation of all SMEs in the state.
According to the president of ECCIMA “The current economic challenges in the country as a result of the dwindling revenue from our mono foreign exchange earner, which is oil, calls for concerted efforts towards diversifying our nation’s economy. Hence, the need to promote made-in-Nigeria Products in global market to attract foreign exchange deficit.”
He emphasized that production holds the key to economic emancipation of the nation, and that “the only way is to promote made-in-Nigeria products and diversification of the economy.”
