The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) is offering free entry to all visitors to the 2024 Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) with a target of receiving one million visitors at the 10-day event scheduled for November 1 – 10 at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.
Meanwhile, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced that it will once again be sponsoring this year’s edition marking the sixth consecutive year the bank will be the official financial partner of the LITF.
Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Abimbola Olashore, disclosed this at a media briefing in Lagos, yesterday, adding that the number of exhibitors this year is expected to exceed the annual average of 3,500 average by about 50 percent.
Olashore who was represented by a member of the LCCI Trade Promotion Board, Akinbo Akin-Olugbade, said that state-of-the-art security architecture will be deployed for the duration of the Fair, for both private and public, to manage the challenges that may arise due to the free entry offered to visitors.
He stated, “LITF records average of 350,000 visitors for the 10-day period, with average of over 3,500 exhibitors participating annually, and 15 countries in attendance.
“While our exhibitors have surpassed this figure this year by expression of interest, we are looking towards receiving 1 million visitors at the Fair.
“We are glad to announce that there will be free entry for the 10 days of the Fair for all our exhibitors and visitors. We will, however, be deploying our state-of-the-art security architecture, both private and public, to manage the process.”
He applauded UBA for its continued support of the fair and SMEs in Africa.
He stated, “We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our reputable sponsor, UBA, for their unwavering support and commitment to the success of this fair. Their contributions have been invaluable, and we are truly appreciative of your partnership “
UBA’s Head, SME Banking, Babatunde Ajayi, highlighted the bank’s strengthened commitment to supporting African businesses, announcing a substantial $6 billion loan facility dedicated to SME development.
He said, “Our six-year partnership with LCCI has been tremendously successful because our missions align perfectly,” said Ajayi.
“We are focused on providing our customers with comprehensive market access and seamless transaction capabilities through our extensive retail presence and digital platforms which will be made available at the fair.”
Ajayi noted that the bank’s support will extend beyond traditional banking services, as they will offer direct customer engagement opportunities, payment collection, and repatriation services for African exhibitors, and advanced digital banking platforms for efficient transactions.
