Lagos Deepens Support for Entrepreneurs, MSMEs at Trade Fair

Samuel Mobolaji

The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, has reaffirmed Lagos State’s commitment to supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and fostering a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

Aregbe restated this commitment during the second edition of the Lagos Tourism NBC Trade Fair, which is taking place at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13.

The trade fair, organised in collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Naija Brand Chick (NBC), aims to empower small-scale enterprises, women entrepreneurs, and young business owners by providing them with visibility, market access, and growth opportunities.

According to him, the event attracted over 200 vendors and over 77,000 attendees, which he believed would foster stronger connections between vendors and customers as well as attract more investors to Lagos to create job opportunities for residents.

He said: “Lagos provides the perfect landscape for business growth, and this fair is proof that dreams can be actualised with the right support.

“We are excited to create another groundbreaking event that empowers SMEs and transforms lives. Thanks to the visionary Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his intentional commitment to the growth and development of small businesses.

“It is also not all about selling and buying but also using entertainment to drive visibility, which you are all seeing here today. Lagos has a large market and will continue to drive its GDP growth for the benefit of all residents.”

Similarly the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, said the trade fair is a combination of commerce and entertainment to boost visibility for participating brands, with the innovation of the Sanwo-Naira as the means of exchange at the trade fair, while a ₦5 billion revenue is expected to be made during the three days.

“What we are doing is to showcase the small business owners to the world, and this is to boost their sales and overall improve the economy of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole.

“We have many vendors who came in from other states into Lagos for the Lagos Tourism NBC Trade Fair, and they are so happy, as some of them said they made sales of one month in a day; that alone attests to the success story of the exhibition, and it will keep getting bigger and stronger.”

The CEO of the Naija Brand Chick (NBC), Nelly Agbogu, said she was thrilled by this year’s edition with many new innovations and thanked the Lagos State Government for partnering with her to drive her commerce prowess, which is evident in the many testimonies of the vendors with increased sales at the exhibition.

“Lagos provides the perfect landscape for business growth, and this fair is proof that dreams can be actualised with the right support. We are excited to create another groundbreaking event that empowers SMEs and transforms lives.

“Thanks to the Lagos State Government for its intentional commitment to the growth and development of small businesses.”

The vendors at the trade fair expressed their excitement about the event, which, according to them, will boost trade and commerce in Lagos State.

One of the vendors who is a Realtor, Mrs Anthonia Boluwaji-Abayomi, commended the Lagos State Government for the initiative, which she noted brought a lot of entrepreneurs together for increased connectivity and sales opportunities.

She urged Lagos residents to take advantage of the trade fair for discounted prices.

During the trade fair, the Lagos State Council of Arts and Culture, comedians and A-list musicians such as K1 The Ultimate, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde, were on standby to entertain vendors and customers.

Among the participants at the trade fair on Friday were members of the Lagos State Executive Council, Nollywood actors, brand ambassadors and shoppers, among others.