Enugu’s Novel Trade Fair

For the first time in decades, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA) holds its international trade fair at its permanent fair ground beginning from March 19 this year.

The 21st Enugu International Trade Fair has been slated to hold from Friday 19 to 29 March this year (ten days). (Picture shows Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu state)

But this time around, the fair which has, for decades, held at its temporary complex on Abakiliki Road, finally moves over to its permanent site by Golf Course Housing Estate, off the Enugu-Onitsha expressway.

With the theme, ‘Economic Recovery and Development through Public/Private Partnership’, this year’s fair, according to Sir Okechukwu Nwadinobi, the newly elected ECCIMA President, will feature not less than 500 exhibitors. Apart from this large number of participants, the fair is expected to be declared open by Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

On a general note, the fundamental principles and general objectives of trade fairs across the world are promotion of goods and services both at local and international levels, as well as to boost economic and investment opportunities.

To this effect, Nwadinobi maintained that this year’s Enugu fair will, among other things, expose and promote the vast investment and business opportunities in Nigeria; provide the forum for comparison of local products with foreign ones to achieve qualitative economic development and healthy competition; strengthen the political and economic relations between Nigeria and other nations, as well as facilitate the exchange of technical and commercial information, and the expansion of trade transactions in order to enhance the development of the national economy.

President Nwadinobi assured that his Chamber is determined to make this fair the most successful in the history of Enugu International Trade Fair, despite the fact there had been a lot of challenges in hosting it at the permanent site.

“Happily, we have a more spacious arena, the location is very accessible and we are striving to provide necessary infrastructure and facilities to boost the success of the fair”, Nwadinobi told journalists during a recent press briefing to announce the fair.

Nwadinobi was, during the briefing, flanked by Professor Ikechukwu Nwosu, 2nd Deputy President; Dr. Theo Okonkwo, 1st Deputy President; Sir Emeka Okereke, Director-General; Peter Ezeibe, Public Relations Manager; Emeka Nwandu, Ndukwo Ndukwo Ogbuja, Emma Nwankpa and Lady Clair Asogwa-all council members among others.

Nwadinobi commended Governor Sullivan Chime for assisting the body in hitch-freely moving over to its permanent site. He said the governor had directed all the relevant ministries to assist ECCIMA in upgrading and completing the basic infrastructural needs in the permanent site. Nwadinobi added that Chime’s government is, also, already re-surfacing the access road to the complex.

Not to be left unmentioned was ECCIMA’s commendation of the federal government over upgrading of facilities at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport. However, the body expressed deep concern on the implications of the intended closure of the airport from February 10 this year for twelve months to allow for the expansion of the runway.

“If carried out, this will further cripple the economy of the south East, as the Akanu Ibiam Airport remains the major gateway to the East. With the bad state of roads in the zone, and absence of rail transport system, our business men and women have no alternative as the nearest alternative airport is more than two hours away to catch a 45 minutes flight”, Nwadinobi regretted.

ECCIMA thus recommended that a second runway be constructed so that the existing one could continue to provide air services to the teeming air travelers from the zone, adding that members of ECCIMA who are tested contractors would be willing to partner with the federal government to execute this project on mutually beneficial terms.

ECCIMA’s appeal in this direction, also, went to the federal government, Governor Chime and other stake-holders to assist in ensuring that the proposed runway extension at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport is carried out in a way that will not disrupt regular flight operations, and, by extension, affect participation at the forthcoming fair.