The Lagos International Trade Fair

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Small entreprises steal the show at this year’s Lagos International Trade Fair.

By Bankong-Obi

The Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, located along the ever busy Lagos-Badagry Expressway, lives up to its billing as the best organised trade fair in this part of the world. This year’s fair saw the display of all sorts of goods and services. This year’s fair, organised by the Lagos State Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was a visitors’ delight as investors, tourists and traders all left with a smile.

Although primarily meant for exhibition of products, the fair allows the business side of it slip above this notion. Funke Adele, a trader, told P.M.Business that the fair affords traders a large number of customers, therefore they seize the avenue to display and sell their products. Others, who volunteered opinions, said the fair was a meeting point for people from all walks of life and facilitates the exchange of goods and services.

From the gate to the inner layout of the complex, a visitor can see a wide range of products on display. Microphones blare information on the availability, prices and tips on usage of goods. At the entrance for instance, the Almayar Traditional Medicine practitioners aired recorded tapes of the potency of their herbs, and the illnesses they can cure.

Something very interesting about the fair is the emergence of new forms of preservation for small scale farmers who hitherto worry about their perishable items. In this instance, it is pertinent to mention the exploit of the Kaduna state representatives at the fair.

They came with perishable items like tomato, pepper and ginger all refined into powder, packaged into tin and plastic containers. Their products would compete favourably in terms of packaging, with those imported from abroad.

Similarly, the state had a guide with extracts of its natural resources to lure investors to Kaduna. Mr. Thomas Ashi, Deputy Director of Commerce, in the Kaduna state Ministry of Commerce, told P.M.Business that Kaduna state is utilising the opportunity provided by the fair to showcase its resources and encourage miners to come to Kaduna.

“We provide answers to investors’ questions and give them links on how the state government can help them, if they choose to explore our natural resources”. The natural resources demonstrated on the chart include kaolin, tin ore, iron etc.

At the Needles and Tread stand, this reporter was told that in spite of the fierce competition from imported fabrics, the local ones still dominate the market. A sales girl, who identified herself as Fatima, said Nigerians are becoming aware that their culture is as superior as are their fabrics.

The trade fair has gingered the emergence of more indigenous companies which also want a slice of the action. Ifeanyi Onuruike, CEO, AWAAI Electronics, told this medium that many made-in-Nigeria goods are being showcased owing to the growing number of indigenous firms. He cited last year’s exhibition of a fruits chopping machine designed in Nigeria. This year, he said, there has been an expansion, with many other discoveries competing for patronage.

Food vendors had a field day due to the high patronage by exhibitors, customers and visitors. Several stands occupied by a restaurant took over a very wide space. The place was a beehive of activities  with the owner trying to keep pace with customers’ demands.

The communication giants were conspicuously present at the fair, trying to lure customers. An MTN agent, who spoke with us, said because of the teeming number of people at the fair, MTN came to canvass for customers as well as provide quick services to those on its network at the fair. Other players in the communication industry with pronounced stands at the complex include Starcomms, Globacom and Zain.

To crown this year’s exhibition, the banks were not left out. With makeshift banking halls, they provided services to customers without hitch. Moreover, the fair for the banks is a veritable ground to achieve their drive for new customers. In fact, government-owned banks were also at the fair.

Some of these include Bank of Industry and the Nigerian Agriculture and Rural Development Bank. Mr. Remi Babawale, a staff of NARDB, told this source that apart from providing essential services to rural dwellers, such as loans to customers, they were at the fair to provide links and business development tips to its patrons. P.M.Business witnessed a surge of customers to the bank, where officials took time to explain grey areas.

However, in as much as the Lagos International Trade Fair is second to none anywhere in West Africa, it still needs certain touches befitting of its status as a business destination. The facilities on its 15 acres of land need to be upgraded. The uncompleted buildings should be completed to cater for the needs of participants. The overgrown grass should be mown to give the facility a befitting look.

Inspite of its large expanse, the facilities can no longer cater for the growing number of exhibitors and visitors. This, as Mr. Ashi pointed out, can be solved by encouraging private individuals to establish lowcost hotels around Satellite Town, where they can provide facilities such as toilets, bathrooms, food and even recreational facilities.

It was equally observed that sanitation is less than desired, from the entrance gates to the food vendors’ stands, objects littered everywhere. The road to the fair had been taken over by traders who could not be occupied inside the premises. Customers to the fair had a difficult time getting into the fair ground.

The problems identified notwithstanding, the fair is a catalyst for enhancing Nigeria’s tourism development. As P.M.Business witnessed, the various groups, on their special exhibition day, came with several performances, that include cultural shows, drama, drumming and local craft. These spoke volumes of the richness of Nigeria’s diverse cultures. Similarly, music played a crucial role, as most people used it with dancers to advertise their goods.

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has done well by providing a conducive environment for businessmen, leisure seekers and even marketers of tourism, to exchange views and contacts with prospective customers. Truly its aim of “Promoting Nigerian Economy and Global Competitiveness” is on the right course.