President Muhammadu Buhari and Minister of science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, are among high profile guests expected to grace the 28th Enugu International Trade Fair.

The President of Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Rev. Ugochukwu Chime, made this known in Enugu on Tuesday.

Chime said that the fair would hold between March 31 and April 10. He said that the 2017 fair, with the themed, ‘Promoting Nigeria’s Industrial Sector and SMEs for Inclusive and Robust Economy’, would take place at the Permanent Trade Fair Complex, off the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

“It is incumbent, as expected, that the fair will be declared open by His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President, Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Chime said.

The ECCIMA boss noted that good number of bodies and business organisations as well as government agencies had indicated interest to participate in the fair.

“We wish to acknowledge that a good number of enquiries are being made concerning participation in the fair so far,” he said.

Chime added that the chamber had enhanced its online platform for registration, exhibition and marketing.

His words: “As part of our efforts to boost the success of the fair, we shall as it is strategic, be commencing the systematic sensitisation tours and consolidating our marketing with visits to key stakeholders both in public and private sectors in different parts of the country.

“We have equally put in place measures to ensure stable and quality supply of electricity and water during the fair. Relatedly, we shall soon commence the overhaul and maintenance of the two stand-by generator sets in the fair complex, in event of public power failure.”

The ECCIMA boss said it is equally interesting to note that we have commissioned the reinforcement of the distribution network of electricity lines inside the fair complex including the changing of a good number of wooden electric poles to concrete poles.

“This,” according to him, “has become necessary as the weak wooden electric poles used in the initial networking had to be replaced to enhance stable electricity supply.

“We shall continue to gradually replace the wooden poles with concrete poles, particularly those that are weak.

“On security, we are pleased to note, that we have not had any security breach/problem since we started hosting our fairs in the trade fair complex within the Golf Estate area about six years ago.” (NAN)

Update news