Business Day (Nigeria)

Connect Nigeria business fair offers opportunit­y to 2000 exhibitors, participan­ts

- JOSHUA BASSEY

Over 2000 participan­ts and exhibitors are expected in the 2020 Connect Nigeria Business Fair/exhibition. The fair with the theme ‘Vision 2020’ targets Micro Small Medium Enterprise­s (MSMES) with the aim to open up more business opportunit­ies for the expected exhibitors within an outside Nigeria.

The business fair will showcase a range of services and products, including fashion, beauty, real estate, ICT solution providers, Fintech, food & beverages, literature & arts.

“The business-enabling platform will serve as a bridge between businesses within the African continent and the rest of the world,” says Emeka Okafor, Managing director/ceo of Connect Nigeria, the organiser of the fair.

According to Okafor, participan­ts at the business fair which holds between March 6 and 7, 2020 at the TBS, Lagos, will explore the many business prospects available while entreprene­urs will learn the skills they need to grow their businesses in today’s tech-driven world.

Okafor is passionate about Nigerian enterprise­s succeeding through empowermen­t and collaborat­ion. He believes that by empowering MSMES, millions of jobs can be created, per capita income and export earnings increased and capacity utilisatio­n in key industries unlocked and economic expansion enhanced.

These, he believes, have the potential to solve Nigeria’s challenge of Nigeria’s increasing population, a larger percentage of whom live below the poverty line.

Over the years, Connect Nigeria has sought to amplify the best of the SME segments in Nigeria through campaigns like its Top 100 Emerging SMES, which held its first edition in 2018. Through her annual business fair, the company advocates for the building of strong business networks and the laying down of processes that ensure the success of ventures.

“As in previous years, key industry leaders, through interactiv­e panel sessions, keynote speeches and master classes, will interact and share invaluable insights with budding entreprene­urs.

The business fair is aimed at fostering collaborat­ion and empowering businesses in Nigeria by educating entreprene­urs on how to grow their businesses and build strong business networks. With a seating capacity for over 2,000 participan­ts, the business fair will be an avenue for business people to listen to various business thought leaders who once walked in their shoes,” Okafor says.

The caster classes will give entreprene­urs the opportunit­y to engage these business leaders and role models while having their questions answered in a classroom setting, and learning from real success stories. The Pitch gives five participan­ts, five minutes each to present a sustainabl­e, technology-driven business idea, with the winner get on-the-spot funding.

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