▪︎L-R: Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Engr. Leye Kupoluyi; Chief Executive Officer, Tafawa Balewa Square Management Board, Mrs. Lucia Shittu; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat and President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa , during the Opening Ceremony of the Lagos International Trade Fair 2024 held on Friday at the Banquet Hall, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.
“The ongoing 2024 edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair with the theme: ‘Connecting Businesses, Creating Value’, holds special significance as Nigeria navigates an era of economic adjustment marked by challenges and opportunities.”
Mr Gabriel Idahosa, the President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), stated those words.
He said ” From the disrupting pressures of inflation rates to a volatile foreign exchange market, our economy has faced complex policy options that have pushed businesses across all sectors to build resilience, innovate, and build collaborative networks for survival.
“As an incubator of ideas and a catalyst for commerce, the Lagos International Trade Fair stands as a beacon of opportunity, offering enterprises the platform to showcase resilience-driven solutions, explore synergies, and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria and the wider region.
“Idahosa added that trade fairs has also become a veritable platform where state governments and federal parastatals showcase the investment opportunities in their states and programmes of impact.
He urged Nigerian businesses and entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity to network with international exhibitors, initiate distributorship deals, and foster trade agreements that will enhance their business value chains and diversify their product offerings.
During the opening ceremony on Friday, November 1, the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, explained the state’s participation in the Fair:
” Our mission is using the platform to position Lagos as a regional hub and a thriving global marketplace, one that harnesses the energy, resilience, and ingenuity of its people to drive forward economic prosperity and sustainable development.”
Sanwo-Olu who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat noted that in today’s world, connectivity is the backbone of growth.
“This Trade Fair is a testament to the undeniable power of partnerships. We are in an age where collaboration fuels innovation, and innovation ignites value.
Lagos, as the economic nerve centre of Nigeria and West Africa, is playing a unique role in fostering connections among businesses of all sizes, whether they are homegrown startups, established multinationals, or local artisans working to scale their enterprises.”
Sanwo-Olu pointed out that, by providing a platform where small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can meet with global corporations, where local manufacturers can showcase their products, and where tech innovators can demonstrate their ideas, this Trade Fair brings together the tools, networks, and resources that are essential for value creation.