By Wole Adeniyi
The Managing Director of MD Perspective Nigeria Limited, Chief (Mrs.) Morenike Dele-Alimi, has given robust insights on why her group is partnering with United Asia Exhibition Company (UAEC) China to hold four different B2B Exhibitions to be co-located with the forth coming 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair.
The exhibition, coming up at the Tafawa Balewa Square, from 4th to 7th November 2019, will among other things, provide seamless opportunity for Nigerian businesses to network and grow business activities with genuine Chinese investors.
She explained that the four business events include an International Automotive Parts, Equipment and Services Trade Fair (AutoEquip); Nigeria International Textile Industry Fair (NGTEX); Home Show Nigeria; and Premium Mechatronics Brand China (PBC).
Chief Mrs Dele-Alimi disclosed at a press conference in Lagos that “All these events would hold at the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair from Monday, 4th November to Thursday, 7th November 2019.”
“These four exhibitions present tremendous business opportunities for Nigerian business people and will go a long way to galvanise Commerce in Nigeria.
“Distributive trade and service industries [DTSI] account for a substantial proportion of economic activities in every country, whether they are measured in terms of contributions to the GDP or share of total employment. In Nigeria, the sub-sector’s share of GDP is over 10 per cent. There are no reliable estimates of the percentage of able-bodied Nigerians employed in this sub-sector, but casual observation suggests that it is remarkably high in spite of the increasing rate of under-employment.
“Distributive trade and services sub-sector consist of establishments which engage in trading and provision of invisible goods. The following activities are defined in the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) as falling within the scope of distributive trade and services: wholesale trade; retail trade; restaurants, cafes, and other eating and drinking places; hotels, camps and other lodging places; real estate; data processing services; advertising services; machinery and equipment retail and leasing; motion picture production; radio and television broadcasting; theatrical producers and other entertainment services; repair of footwear and other leather shoes; electrical repair shops; repair of motor vehicle and motorcycles; watch, clock and jewelry repair; other repair shops not classified elsewhere; laundries, laundry services, cleaning and dyeing plants, barber and beauty shops; photographic studios, including commercial photography. Hotels, Restaurants and Tourism have been constituted in a data set with distinct divisional code.
“Wholesale trade is defined as re-sale, without transformation, of new and used goods to non-final consumers. Grading, bulk-breaking, repackaging and bottling are not regarded as transformation and are, therefore, legitimate activities of wholesalers, while Retail trade is defined as re-sale, without transformation, of new and used goods for personal or household consumption or utilisation. The scope is confined to services rendered to households and enterprises. These are services provided by establishments which can be regarded as stores, hotels, restaurants, theatres, shops and offices.
“Any project therefore targeted at adding value to this sector of the economy, should be a welcome development. With our population size and the corresponding size of our economy, Nigeria remains an attractive investment destination for global businesses. It is therefore no surprise that these Chinese business people are interested in our country.
“These exhibitions would focus primarily at big and medium size Nigeria distributive trade and service sector practitioners and they would be able to meet Chinese manufacturers and business people from these four business areas, who are desirous of doing business in our country.
“With the continued recognition of the role of the private sector in the economic development in Nigeria and the move by the Nigerian government to transform the nation’s economy, the exhibitions seek to use the medium of Trade to support government’s concerted efforts and provide an avenue for both Nigerians and foreigners to have windows of opportunities, not only to interact, but also to strike mutually beneficial business relationships.
“These exhibitions therefore will provide economic and commercial bridges between local and international investors and provide platforms to broaden the horizon and scope of investment opportunities for Nigerians.
According to her, “These four exhibitions are being organized by the United Asia Exhibition Group based in China in collaboration with the Sub Council of Textile Industry, CCPIT for the Nigeria Textile Industry Fair and China National Machinery Industry International Co. Limited for the International Automotive Parts, Equipment and Service Fair.
“Founded upon Sino-German cooperation, United Asia International Exhibition Group (UAEC) is an international & professional Fair and Pavilion Organizer, authorized by the Ministry of Public Security of Peoples Republic of China and subsidized by Chinese Government.
“UAEC has received awards like Quality Management System Certificate ISO9001, and AAA Corporate Credit Grading Certificate.
“UAEC is recognised as ‘China Advanced Enterprise in Exhibition Industry’, Top Ten Pavilion Organizer in China, Top Ten Most Influential Chinese Exhibition Enterprise and Best Exhibition Enterprises in China by Chinese Government and international Associations and is authorized by Chinese Government to apply subsidies officially for its exhibitors.
Chief Mrs Dele-Alimi further revealed that “MD Perspectives Nigeria Limited, an indigenous fair and exhibition organising company is UAEC Special Partner in Nigeria for the purpose of the organisation of these exhibitions.
On the build up from China and participants, she averred that “not less than two hundred Chinese companies from each of the four sectors have been approved by the Chinese Government to participate in these four exhibitions. We are therefore expecting about one thousand (1,000) Chinese organisations to participate in these exhibitions.”
“We are also glad to note that their Nigerian counterparts are being sensitized to participate in the B2B events, and are currently being matched with corresponding businesses to ensure that we have short but fruitful business meetings during the events.
“We are hopeful that not less than 500 Nigerian business people per sector will participate in the various B2B meetings that would be held during the 4-day period. This means at least two thousand Nigerian businesses (2,000) are being invited for the exhibitions. This is apart from other business visitors to the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fairs, who are also in their hundreds that will naturally visit during the course of the exhibitions.
“We are confident about our figures and this is further boosted by the presence here today of various associations from the various sectors being covered by the exhibitions, who have signed on to the show as Supporters. These include, but not limited to: Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Associations (ASPAMDA), Ladipo Central Executive Auto Dealers Association (LACEADA), Road Wheels and Tyres Dealers Association, Association of Nigeria Tyre Marketers, The Resident Automotive Components Dealers Association of Nigeria (RACDAN), Electrical Dealers Association on Nigeria, General Tools Dealers Association, International Market Association of Electronics, Alaba, Retail Council of Nigeria, Gift & Promotional Items Dealers Association, Iponri Model Market, and Fabric Sellers Association, Woro Elewa, Lagos.
Others are the Association of Finished Textile Dealers of Lagos, Balogun Business Association (BBA), Association of Fishing Materials Dealers, Lagos State, Fashion Designer Association of Nigeria, Association of Bedding and Curtain Materials dealers, Tejuoso Market, Mainland Spare Parts & Machinery Dealers Association, Connect Nigeria, and Finelib.Com group.
She explained further that “Together these associations and organisations above have thousands of members who are being mobilized to attend the event.
Exhibition Size:
As I said earlier, not less than 100 exhibitors per sector is being expected and they would be spread across two exhibition Halls, that is Halls 1 and 2 at the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair, with total exhibition space of more than two thousand square metres (2,000).
Date of Exhibitions:
Though the 2019 LITF will hold for 10 days; from 1 to 10 November 2019, these four exhibitions will only hold for four days, that is Monday, 4th to Thursday, 7th November 2019.
Hosting of One-day Conference:
As part of efforts to engage the entire value chain of each exhibition sector, the organisers would also host a one-day conference on Monday, 4 November 2019 to discuss the various opportunities and developments in the sectors. This one-day conference, which will commence immediately after the Opening ceremony of the exhibitions on 4th November 2019 will feature speakers and discussants from Nigeria who will examine the opportunities and challenges for businesses in the sectors.
Facilities and Logistics:
The exhibitions are being co-located with the 2019 Lagos International Trade Fair and we therefore enjoy the facilities and logistics put in place by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the organisers of the annual Lagos International Trade Fair.
