The president of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry Mining and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Sir Odeiga Jideonwo, has said that this year’s edition of the Enugu International Trade Fair will lay specific emphasis on promoting made in Nigeria products.
Jideonwo, who addressed a press conference on Wednesday alongside the ECCIMA council members to announce the 35th Enugu International Trade Fair, said the focus stemmed from the need to offset the nation’s foreign exchange deficit, resulting from the nation’s mono foreign exchange earner, oil, which had led to the current economic challenges.
“The current economic challenges in the country as result of the dwindling revenue form our mono foreign exchange earner, which is oil, calls for concerted efforts towards diversifying our nation’s economy.
“Hence, the need to promote made in Nigeria products in the Global market to attract foreign interest, increase export of none oil products and then offset our foreign exchange deficit, cannot be over emphasized.
“Local production and promotion of our locally made goods is the most important song to be signing now, until we restore the glory/value of Naira as well as our national economy”, he said.
The ECCIMA president noted that the event, which would hold between 5th to 15th April this year, would be thrown open for participants.
He also disclosed that efforts were being consolidated towards bringing back to the fair, a number if big companies that stopped participating in the fair due to poor exhibition infrastructure at the complex.
“These companies have decided to join ECCIMA in its move to use PPP arrangement in developing the Enugu International Trade Fair. Most of them have also indicated interest in having permanent space where they can develop their permanent exhibition stands/halls.
“We are optimistic that despite the current economic challenges, the 35th Enugu International Trade Fair will be successfully hosted”, Jideonwo said.
