500 Firms Take Part In Enugu Trade Fair

More than 500 participants including six foreign  countries have indicated interest to participate in the forthcoming 21st Enugu International Trade Fair taking place at  the permanent site complex  off  Enugu – Onitsha Expressway.            

  The president, Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture     (ECCIMA) Sir Okechukwu  Nwadinobi, disclosed this Thursday while briefing newsmen on the readiness of the council to hold a successful fair this year.

  Maintaining that the fair will start on Friday 19th March  to Sunday March 29, 2010, sir Nwadinobi revealed that the fair will be declared open by the Vice President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, adding that eminent corporate leaders and captains of industry have confirmed their acceptance of the invitation of the chamber to be  physically present at the opening ceremonies.

    In the same vein, Nwadinobi  enumerated  the countries that have already indicated their interest to participate in the fair to include Korea, India, United States of America, China , Indonesia and South Africa, adding that the theme for this year’s fair is “Economic Recovery and Development Through Public/Private Partnership.”

    According to him, the fundamental principles and general objectives of Trade Fairs are simply the promotion of goods and services both at local and international levels  and to boost economic and investment opportunities.

    The 21st Enugu International Trade Fair, he said, would further intensify and consolidate efforts towards achieving these fundamental objectives including offering veritable platform in exposing and promoting the vast investment and business  opportunities in Nigeria. On the permanent site, Mr. Nwadinobi said: “The officials of the Federal Ministry of Commerce  and Industry have been quite eager to see the achievement of this landmark event and are giving us their cooperation to see that the 21st Enugu International Fair takes place at the permanent site. All necessary approvals required from them have been given to us.”

    Continuing, the ECCIMA president further revealed that : “In the same vein, the governor of Enugu State , has directed all the relevant ministries to assist us in upgrading and completing the basic infrastructural  needs and are already re-surfacing the access road to the complex. We assure the general public that every will be in place before the end of February this year.”

    Using the forum to react on the implications of the intended closure of the Akanu Ibiam  airport, Enugu, from February 10, 2010 for twelve months to allow for the expansion of the runway, Nwadinobi reasoned that “If carried out, this will further cripple the economy of the South East, as the airport remains the major gateway to the East.”

    His words: “With the bad state of roads in the zone, and absence of rail transport system, our businessmen and women have no alternative as the nearest alternative airport is more than two hours away to catch  a 45 minutes flight. We strongly recommend that a second runway should be constructed so that the existing runway could continue to provide air services to the teeming air travellers from the zone.”

    He , therefore, made categorically clear that members of  ECCIMA who are tested contractors are willing to partner with the federal government to execute the project on mutually beneficial terms. The chamber president also called on the federal and the governor of Enugu State, Sullivan Chime as well as other stakeholders to rise to the occasion and ensure that the proposed runway extension is carried out in a way that will not disrupt regular flight operations by exploring the alternative option suggested by the chamber.