Exhibit local goods at Trade Fairs to boost patronage - Ikpeazu

November 21, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has charged Nigerian industrialists to exhibit their products at trade fairs r to create more awareness about their products and boost patronage.

The governor gave this counsel at the Abia State Polytechnic playing ground in Aba on Tuesday while declaring open the 3rd Aba International Trade Fair.

Ikpeazu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Henry Nwachukwu said that creating awareness about local products would increase their patronage hence the need for more publicity through fairs.

He said that the theme of the fair “Promoting Trade and Business interaction for Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria” was timely as government seeks to make Aba Nigeria’s SME hub.

He thanked the Aba Chamber of Commerce for organizing the fair stressing that the idea would help to drive the vision of expanding the reach of locally made goods from the state.

The governor officially declared “the 3rd Aba International Trade Fair open to the glory of God and humanity”.

In his speech, the President, Aba Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ACCIMA), Mr Andy Obasi said the chamber had keyed into the vision and footsteps of Ikpeazu to develop Aba.

 He said the fair was part of the chamber’s effort to showcase locally made products to local and international markets to enable loacal industrialists reach out to more buyers.

Obasi expressed hope that the fair would benefit participants in building business contacts for future transactions and thanked all present for adding colour to the event.

The Fair’s Organizing Committee Chairman, Mr Chukwuemeka Okoroama said the fair was set up to promote business interactions necessary for growth of Nigeria’s non-oil sector which needed much attention now.

Okoroama said government should improve power, infrastructure, fiscal and economic policies needed to grow the sector which World Banks says accounts for about 89 percent of Nigeria’ GDP.

He called on government to make conscious and deliberate efforts to cause institutional and regulatory reforms necessary to remove obstacles to the growth of Nigeria’s non-oil sector.