The Lagos state government has unveiled the Ecofair world tour scroll in preparation for the fourth edition of the trade fair in the state.
Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, commissioner for commerce, cooperatives, trade and investment, Lagos state said the state is delighted to be hosting the trade fair and will be leveraging it to drive business investments while showcasing opportunities to participating countries.
“The fair is going to impact the economy positively and Lagos is open for business,” she said during the unveiling.
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The commissioner said the state has a lot to offer to participating countries in the area of tourism, ease of doing business and free trade zones.
“We are also welcoming several local micro, small and medium-size businesses (MSMEs) as well who will be showcasing their products to participating countries to foster trade and collaborations,” she noted.
“Bilateral trade is also an opportunity we are going to consider, so we look forward to the engagements,” she added.
Speaking also, Ejarkaminor Riicolins, chief executive of Ecofair – the organiser, said the unveiling in the state marks the beginning of the global tour across participating countries, noting that Ghana is the first point of contact.
“It is a tour of business to government within the private and the public sectors. We as the private sector IS collaborating and joining efforts with the governments both in Nigeria and Ghana to do this and other countries as well,” Riicolins said.
“Bringing these people to Nigeria to come and invest will help boost the country’s foreign exchange and this is what we look forward to. It will also reduce unemployment because businesses are coming to invest here in Nigeria and this will help drive economic growth,” he said.
According to him, the fair will also help to showcase Lagos and its opportunities.
Speaking about the fair earlier, he said the fair is a four-in-one event with several activities with 10,000 potential buyers of goods and services expected daily during the 10-day event.
He said the event will be held day and night during the period, which will be the first of its kind in the country, noting that Lagos is very safe for doing business.
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“I found out that most parts of Lagos do not sleep and they are not doing business. So, we want to transition it to making money by doing business,” Riicolins said.
“We are not only inviting ECOWAS countries. We are inviting over 40 countries to participate in the various events of the fair and these people will bring to the doorsteps of Nigerians those things they would have gone seeking for a visa to get.”
