New Telegraph

Tourism Trade Fair: EKO Emerges Centre Of Hospitality Business

…Participants laud Sanwo-Olu, seek more exhibitions

Lagos Tourism Trade Fair

The sixth edition of the Lagos Tourism Trade Fair, which began at White Stone, Oregun on June 14 came to an end on June 16. The event tagged ‘Buy, Sell, Network,’ targeted about 100,000 exhibitors and N5 billion sales attracted participants from all over the country and beyond. Widely applauded and described as a huge success by participants who attended the 3-day Trade Fair held in collaboration with the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture, and Naija Brand Chic (NBC). The Trade Fair featured vendors of a wide range of products which included Nigerian-made products which were hailed by shoppers as of international standards.

Participants

The vendors and participants, who spoke to our correspondents, expressed great delight and called on the Ministry to consider increasing the frequency of opportunities to expose them to the market at such a large scale, while others described the fair as a success and remarkable. They commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for providing opportunities for vendors to transact business successfully during the trade fair.

Vendors speak

Speaking on the success and impact of the trade fair, a participant dealing in cosmetics, who came from Kano State, Bahijja Ahmad Wasai, said he had featured in exhibitions both locally and outside the country but concluded that the Lagos template ought to be adopted by organizers of other trade fairs. Wasai recommended the organisers of the Lagos Tourism and NBC Trade Fair to other planners whether private or government. She said: “I have participated in many trade fairs, but this particular trade fair is different from what we are used to.

This is something different that we are witnessing. “The trade fair was fantastic. It was the best fair in terms of organisation and it was the most intense in terms of sales. This is one of the best trade fairs I have ever witnessed so far. It has been a back-to-back trade with a large population. “We would like to thank the Lagos State Government in particular because they have been very supportive from the beginning. “The Governor of Lagos State has tried for vendors in terms of organisation and everything. We would like to see more of this.”

Commendation

Also speaking, another vendor, who deals in clothing, Mrs. Blessing Aregbesola, said the trade fair was a wonderful experience. She said: “We are so grateful to participate in this exhibition because it has been a wonderful experience. “The turnout is massive. It is a great experience. So, we thank Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick. We are grateful to them.” Among the dignitaries who attended the trade fair was the Iyalaje Oodua, Chief Mrs. Toyin Kolade.

The business tycoon, who also attended on the first day of the event, in a chat with journalists praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for his commitment to the development of the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises sector of the state’s economy. She noted that Lagos State under Sanwo-Olu had become a shining example and a model to other governments. Following the success and remarkable achievements recorded at the three-day Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, the Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to continuously support Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) to grow businesses.

Govt backing

Speaking on the final day of the trade fair, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, said the trade fair has changed the lives of vendors and impacted their businesses positively. Aregbe said Lagos will continue to lead when it comes to art, entertainment, commerce and industry. He said: “It has been a great journey. It is indeed a fantastic project and initiative because people are happy.

“We have been able to create a partnership between Lagos Tourism and the trade fair. We have been able to use entertainment to push our brand. “We have been able to use the event to educate the people on the streets of Lagos, and we have seen that Lagos will continue to lead when it comes to commerce and industry.”

While expressing delight at the governor’s support, Aregbe said the trade fair has changed many of the vendors’ directions for business, sales, and passion. He said: “I am happy, and the partnership between Lagos State and Naija Brand Chick is a fantastic one. “We have vendors from the UK and different parts of Nigeria. “And they all appreciated the Lagos State Governor for giving them the opportunity.”

Aregbe, while stressing the state government’s commitment to growing SMEs, said: “The government is not in competition with anybody. We are only complementing and supporting businesses, especially SMEs. “Lagos is committed to the trade fair because we need to grow our naira. We need to support SMEs. “Lagos is huge when it comes to economic and entertainment values in terms of numbers, and we need to convert the numbers and values into something meaningful, and that is what we have done in the last three days to support SMEs.”

Agbogu hails governor

Also speaking, the founder of the Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, Mrs Nelly Agbogu, said the 2024 edition was impactful, especially on vendors. She commended the SanwoOlu’s administration for the success of the tourism trade fair. She said: “The whole aim of this fair is to help business owners do better in their businesses, grow and meet their customers, get more visible and increase the capacity of their brands, and also help Nigerians in general.

“On our own, we do 25,000 in two days, but on the first day alone, over N300 million was realised. “We are excited that the fair was a phenomenon, and we know this has been one of the best fairs ever. “It couldn’t have been possible without the partnership of the Lagos State Government and the Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture.

“The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Idris Aregbe, has been so amazing to us. He has supported us. “He came around to see the vendors. He made sure everybody was happy. “People came out after Ileya and Father’s Day. We are excited to see the results that have come out.”

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