Big business, regulators join Kano Chamber for international trade fair

THE ANNUAL IN TERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR, ORGANISED BY THE KANO CHAMBER of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (KACCIMA), opened at the weekend, in the commercial city of Kano.

This year’s trade exhibition, the 42nd edition, has as its theme: ‘Consolidating the Challenges of Covid-19 Pandemic to Opportunities for Growth And Development of Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises in Nigeria’. It has attracted businesses and other exhibitors from within and outside the country, the organisers said.

Speaking to Business a.m. on the sidelines of the opening ceremony held at the trade fair ground situated on Zoo Road in Kano Metropolis, on Saturday, Usman Darma, who is the first deputy president of the Chamber, hinted that over 100 participants are taking part in the fair.

Darma said that some of the leading Nigerian business brands, such as Dangote Group, BUA Group, Ammasco International Limited, Jaiz Bank, are partnering the chamber in the staging of the event.

In the same vein, he disclosed that the Kano State government, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, are also the other official partners.

Other groups partnering with the chamber, according to the deputy president, include, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Deposits Insurance Corporation, Nigerian Communications Commission, and Bank of Industry.

He explained that the fair, which opened officially on Wednesday 24th of November, would run up to Saturday the 11th of December.

Also, providing insights into some of the arrangements put in place by the management of the chamber to make the fair a success, Uba Mijinyawa, chairman of the trade fair organising committee, stated that all necessary infrastructure have been deployed to ensure a smooth programme.

“We are glad that this year’s event is taking place in the face of the tremendous peaceful atmosphere now prevalent in the state. Judging from what is on ground today we can say with confidence that Kano is one of the most peaceful states in the country.

“And in order to make the event a huge success, we are strengthening the security arrangement already in place in the state. We have beefed up physical security around the fairgrounds.

“24/7 electricity and water supply are also being made available at the exhibition ground, so as to create comfort for participants, and the numerous visitors that are expected to visit the fair,” said Mijinyawa, who is also the 2nd deputy president of the chamber.

AFEX, NIGERIA’S LEADING COMMODI TIES MARKET PLAYER, is working with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on a series of workshops designed to strengthen the understanding of commodity market players on commodity standards and foster the development and adoption of a grading and standardisation system that follows international best practices.

Kano State hosted the second leg of the workshop series on the 18th of November 2021 after the first part of the workshop series was held in Lagos State.

Following the completion of the first part of the workshop series in Lagos on the 8th and 9th of November, the second leg of the workshop series in Kano State was tagged, ‘Commodity Standards Sensitisation’.

The occasion brought together stakeholders, including government agencies, farmer groups, processors, agriculture commodity exporters, merchants/ off-takers, collateral managers, development partners, and other agriculture experts to provide input on the commodity standards and also identified the challenges of the existing framework, to develop a roadmap for a vibrant ecosystem.

Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Kano State deputy governor, said that commodities exchanges can serve as a key catalyst for the devel