The commitment of the new Council of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) to re-package its flagship –trade facilitation programme has started yielding tangible result, as the annual Kano International Trade Fair opens on an improved note.
This year event which is the 38th edition was officially declared opened weekend in the commercial city of Kano, and with several local as well as international exhibitors participating.
Some of the big public and private entities participating in the 12-day event are Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Dangote Group, BUA, NDIC, A. A Rano, and Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), among others.
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The event with the theme ’Reinvigoration of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises: A Key for Effective Development of Nigerian Economy’ is also attracting small-scale exhibitors from across the country.
Speaking exclusively to BusinessDay about the fair, Dalhatu Abubakar, President, KACCIMA, said that the theme of the fair was coined after careful consideration of the major focus of the Federal Government economic policy.
“You will concur with me that after the fight against insecurity for the restoration of peace and order which is the basic platform for any societal development and the eminent commitment so far exhibited in fighting corruption the next important issue to the country is diversification of the economy as a solution to overdependence on a single sector.
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“This theme of the Fair was therefore devised after critical consideration in addition to the above; that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises have contemporaneously proved to be the key drivers in boosting the economy of several other countries and the need for Nigeria to reinvigorate the sector to diversify and develop the country`s economy.
“Reinvigoration of the sector entails among other things, jobs creation, capacity building and corporate coordination and organization of various enterprises. This when put in place will greatly produce multiplier effects on the overall economy,” he stated.
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Speaking further, Dalhatu added: “The task of this nature requires committed synergy, patriotism, and high –a level of commitment. It is indeed with a sense of truth that, I wish at this juncture to draw our attention to the fact that this task is everybody responsibility.
“Government at all level ramifications, other Non-Governmental establishments, Organized Private Sector, Civil Society Groups, and individual business/tradesmen alike are stakeholders in this crusade.
“We should therefore put all hands on deck towards achieving the desire mission geared at effectively transforming the nation’s economy”.
Commenting on the plans in place to make the Fair a success, Tijjani A. Abdu, director-general of the Chamber disclosed that the Chamber has scaled up all the facilities on the trade fairground.
“We have in place excellent security arrangement, and adequate infrastructural facilities which so far the exhibitors have commended the Chamber for, and we are out to sustain the provision of these arrangements.
