Buhari to Declare 17th Abuja International Trade Fair Open

James Emejo in Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to declare open the 17th annual Abuja International Trade Fair (AITF) scheduled to be held in Abuja.

Speaking at a media briefing, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammad Bello, said the president had personally given his promise to partake in the august event in order to give it a boost.

The minister was represented by his Secretary of Economic Planning, Revenue Generation, Agboola Lukman Dabri.

He said the event would further portray the capital city as a destination for business adding that the government is currently embarking on measures to reform the ease of doing business in the country.

Also speaking at the occasion, the President, Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Dr. Al-Mujtaba Abubakar, said the theme of this year’s exhibition was “Creating an Export Ready Market through SMEs Digitisation”.

He said digitisation offers a range of opportunities for SMEs to improve performance, spur innovation, enhance productivity and compete on a more even footing with larger firms and boost the non-oil export business.

He said going digital would also help small businesses achieve economies of scale, lower operation and transaction costs, and reduced information asymmetries.

The fair remains is a standard platform for brand establishment as it brings together various aspects of trade and industry, foreign ambassadors, business persons, decision-makers, business delegations, entrepreneurs, and innovators.

Since its inception, the platform has served Nigeria as a trusted global trade destination and a potential market for over 50,000 consumers.

Abubakar, said digital tools bring many significant benefits for firms by reducing transaction costs through the provision of better and quicker access to information, and communication between businesses, suppliers and networks.