ECCIMA Identifies Diversification as Panacea to Recession, Kicks Off 28th Trade Fair

The Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), on Tuesday lamented the debilitating effect of the economic recession in the country, noting however that the best opportunity for the nation to engage in practical diversification had come.

Addressing a news conference in Enugu, the President of ECCIMA, Rev. Ugochukwu Chime also disclosed that the 28th Enugu International Trade Fair with the theme, “Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy” will take place between March 31st and May 10th 2017 at the permanent Trade Fair Complex, off the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare the fair open, he said.

He declared that the only way out of the current recession would be for the country to diversify, pointing out that it is only with a thriving economy and free enterprise that democracy would be sustained.

According to him “The current economic challenges in the country as result of the volatility in the mono revenue foreign earner of the country, which is oil, presents the onerous opportunity to drive and sustain meaningfully the efforts to diversify the nation’s economy.

“Diversification of the nation’s economy has been a re-occurring sing song over the years and there is no better time to bring this to fruition, than now.”

To further buttress the commitment to diversification, Chime noted that the agricultural sector will continue to receive attention in the chamber’s specially designated area during the Fair aimed at boosting indulgence in agricultural production and commercial farming, more so at it remains a critical sector towards the nation’s diversi- fication efforts, so also for the mining and solid mineral sector.

He said a good number of corporate bodies/business organisations as well as government agencies have indicated serious interest to participate in the Fair just as a good number of enquiries were being made concerning participation in the Fair. He noted that the Fair was being packaged in such a way that it will have meaningful and positive effects and outcome for all stakeholders,

particularly for exhibitors and participants, adding that the chamber had started enhancing their online platform for registration, exhibition and marketing