Trade Fair: Over N300m realised, as Lagos recommits to supporting SMEs 

FOLLOWING the successes recorded at the three-day Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, which ended on Sunday, the Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to continuously support Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) to grow businesses. This is as over N300 million was realised in a day during the fair.
   
Speaking at the final day in Ikeja, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, said the trade fair has changed the lives of the vendors and impacted their businesses positively.
   
He said: “Lagos is committed to the trade fair because we need to grow our naira. We need to support SMEs. Lagos is huge when it comes to economic and entertainment values in terms of numbers, and we need to convert the numbers and values into something meaningful, and that is what we have done in the last three days to support SMEs. 
 
Also speaking, the founder of Naija Brand Chick Trade Fair, Mrs Nelly Agbogu, said the 2024 edition was impactful, especially on vendors. She commended Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for the success of the Lagos Tourism and Naija Brand Chick trade fair.
   
She said: “The whole aim of this fair is to help business owners do better in their businesses, grow and meet their customers, get more visible and increase the capacity of their brands, and also help Nigerians in general. 
   
“On the first day alone, over N300 million was realised. We are excited that the fair was a phenomenon, and we know this has been one of the best fairs ever. 
 
“It couldn’t have been possible without the partnership of the Lagos State government and the Ministry of Arts, Tourism and Culture. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Arts, Tourism and Culture, Mr Idris Aregbe, has been so amazing to us. He has supported us. He came around to see the vendors. He made sure everybody was happy. People came out after Ileya and Father’s Day. We are excited to see the results that have come out.”