LAGOS TRADE FAIR Industrialisation is a springboard to economic recovery — Oyetayo
Mr. Sola Oyetayo, is the Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). In this interview, he speaks on the ongoing 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair, its benefits to the nation and other related issue
What are you offering in this year’s trade fair?
On behalf of the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr. Mrs Nike Akande, CON, and the Trade Promotion Board, I am quite impressed with the wide reportage of the launching of the 2017 LITF Prospectus that was done early this year and indeed of our activities so far.
The 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), will hold from Friday 3rd November to Sunday 12th November 2017 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, (TBS) Nigeria. The theme of this year’s fair is ‘Promoting Industrialisation for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth’.
You will agree with me that the theme is quite germane in the face of current economic realities that clearly require the support of all stakeholders to work towards the recovery and sustainability of our nation’s economy.
With the provision of enabling business environment, industrialisation is a major springboard to economic recovery and massive job creation. If we can vigorously pursue this noble path, it will no doubt result in sustainable growth desired for our increasing population.
What are the features of this year’s event?
For us at LCCI, we shall continue to use all avenues to support industrialization and the government. We shall also consistently draw attention to possible intervention that can give us workable solutions. These resolutions underscore the choice of this theme.
Let me highlight some of the events slated for 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair. We held international investment conference on Thursday November 2nd, 2017 at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. The conference centred on the theme of the fair and specifically on the ‘ease of doing business’. It was an avenue where the industrial and service sectors interacted with relevant players in the Nigerian economy. Notable economic players in our country, international experts and members of the diplomatic community are expected to attend the conference. Our consumer fair is reputed to be the biggest and the best fair in West and Central Africa.
Based on our experience, especially in the last five years, the 2017 general consumer fair is expected to have large volume of visitors.
What is arrangement? the pattern of the
Well, over 500,000 visitors are expected to attend the fair over the 10-day period, as it has been in the past five years. The Tafawa Balewa Square which is hosting the general consumer fair has an average exhibition space of 40,000 square metres. This has been divided into: indoor shell schemes stand, indoor unbuilt, outdoor and outdoor premium space. These will take care of different categories of exhibitors as it has been done over the years. We have also segmented an area for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) so that they can also exhibit their products and services at the Fair.
It is noteworthy that an average of 2,000 exhibitors participate in the fair annually; with over 200 foreign exhibitors from more than 15 countries (China, Japan, Ecuador, Indonesia, Ghana, Egypt, Slovenia, Pakistan, Turkey, Cameroun, Kenya, Singapore, Jamaica, Republic of Benin, South Africa, including countries in the European Union and North America.)
The indigenous exhibitors have also registered in large numbers to take advantage of the market naturally created by the population of visitors to the fair. Also, there will be business to business meeting. This will simultaneously hold at choice venues within the TBS. A conducive environment would be created for local and international investors to network for investment opportunities.
Similarly, we introduced Secondary School Essay Competition last year and it will be sustained this year. We are doing this to inculcate in our children the relevance of commerce and exhibition for economic development. Prizes will be given to winners during the closing ceremony on November 12, 2017.
This year’s event will also feature Lagos Creative Industry Fair in recognition of the contributions of the sector to the Nigerian economy. You will agree with me that this is one sector that should be given adequate attention by all stakeholders in view of its impact on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
In the same vein, Special Day, as usual will be observed. A Special Day is a unique opportunity for exhibitors to take the centre stage at the Banquet Hall dedicated for the event. For a minimum of an hour, organisations, state governments, embassies of countries can take advantage of the special day celebrations to promote their products, services and culture to existing and potential clients and investors. Indeed, quite a number of highly profitable business activities happen at the FOCUS - the place for televised launchings of products and services as well as other business promotion activities.
Already, organisations have started signifying interest in hosting different promotional events during the Special Days. This unique offer is still available for interested organisations, companies, states, bilateral chambers of commerce and even countries. Business Clinics is another. We have encouraged banks and investment houses to take advantage of the Business Clinics to create an interactive session with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). This will open opportunities for these organisations to get feedbacks on their strategies towards enhancing the sustainability and the societal impact of the MSMEs.
Traffic is a major challenge, what measures have been put in place to ensure free traffic flow and security of lives and property throughout the period?
We all know that security of lives and property is important to the success of the fair. We are therefore partnering federal and state security agencies such as the Nigeria Police Force and its various arms; the Anti-Bomb Squad and the AntiTerrorist Squad. As you may be aware, the fairground will be covered with 24 hours CCTV. We are doing more than that this year. I am pleased to say that all the lessons learnt from the security innovations introduced last year would be put into use to ensure a hitch-free exhibition.
Indeed, we are working with all relevant security outfits to achieve a peaceful trade fair. We will improve in all the facilities that would make the fair a hitch-free event.
On traffic management and other related logistics, we commend the Lagos State government for efforts towards improving the ease of movement around the TBS. We are particularly impressed with the current facelift given to the loading bays around the fair venue. With this, our collaboration with various public-sector organisations in various key areas to improve exhibitors’ and visitors’ experiences will no doubt produce positive results. These organisations include the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Commission, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control, Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment.
Stable power supply is a major problem in the country. How do you intend to provide sustained electricity to the fair?
There is going to be dedicated industrial power generating sets to compliment public power supply. This will ensure uninterrupted power supply to all our exhibitors. Also, we have divided the fair ground into different sectors. Exhibitors will therefore be allocated into spaces on sectoral basis. This will improve access to exhibitors. We will be providing appropriate and adequate directional signs to enhance identification of sectors by exhibitors and visitors.
Information and customer service centres will be provided around the fairground to ensure the provision of adequate information to all exhibitors and visitors as required. However, with the local and international bookings we have recorded so far, and, as we put finishing touches on preparation towards the fair, we have no doubt that the 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair will be a huge success.