Abuja International Trade Fair Begins

By James Emejo

The annual 16th Abuja International Trade Fair (AITF) kicked-off Thursday September 30, the organisers have said.

Stakeholders in the business world including Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from within and outside the country are expected at the August gathering.

AITF, which is multi-sectoral trade event in Nigeria had grown in scope and strength as one of the biggest trade platforms for international and domestic exhibitors to promote new product lines, access new markets, build new business relationships, display new products, grasp developing trend and communicate face to face with suppliers.

A statement issued by ACCI

Media/Strategy Officer, Olayemi John-Mensah, said over 400 exhibitors, 50,000 products and 15 countries including local and international would participate in the fair

They are expected to leverage  great business networking and display of new products to shoppers.

The President Abuja Chamber of ACCI, Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar said the exhibition theme, “Exploring Opportunities of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)”, will last till October 9 adding that the Abuja as the nation’s capital surrounded by 19 Northern States with a one-hour flight from Lagos and every geopolitical makes it more strategic, convenient, and safer to host a large number of both international and local participants.

The Director General ACCI, Victoria Akai also described the theme of this year’s exhibition apt stressing that business cooperation amongst countries would be in the spirit of AfCFTA and would deepen economic exchange and enhance business prosperity among them.

She also said plans are already in place to ensure that the fair went smoothly without any hitch adding many exhibitors within and outside Nigeria had registered while more are still registering as the day approaches.

She said,“Everything has been put in place including adherence to COVID-19 protocol for everyone that will participate in the fair.”

She added that with over 24,000 exhibitors and close to 1,000,000 visitors in the 15 series of staging the fair, it is no wonder the fair had already become a ‘must-see’ for those looking for business success in Nigeria and Abuja in particular.

The platform is designed to promote and strengthen businesses, trade and investment opportunities in the country.

It provides a neutral and open atmosphere for blue chip companies, trade groups/associations, government investment/export promotion agencies, institutions and other private sector organizations to engage new business partners for investment/trade relations and conclude business deals.

For over 15 years, the AITF key success factor has been the increased number of participants and visitors that patronised the event on a yearly basis.