*Foreign Participants Coming
*ECCIMA Admonishes Govt On MSMEs
By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and agriculture (ECCIMA) has charged government at all levels to empower Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to become global brand producers.
President of ECCIMA, Engr Nnanyelugo Onyemelukwe stated this at the ECCIMA council chamber in Enugu during a press conference to announce the forthcoming 37th Enugu International Trade Fair.
The president pointed that the fair with theme ‘Empowering MSME’s for Global Competitiveness’, would hold from Saturday, 21 March to Monday, 30 March, 2026 at the International Trade Fair Complex, Enugu.
Onyemelukwe said that the fair would provide a platform to assess the nation’s economic outlook, the attendant associated risks and opportunities that would be inclined to the business environment/landscape to make informed business and investment decisions.
He said that the fair would be successfully held to the satisfaction of all stakeholders; adding that it would sustain new strategies and approaches introduced by former leaders of ECCIMA.
According to him, “Let me also use the opportunity of this 37th Fair Press Briefing to reassess our concern on the issue of deepening democracy in our country.
“The political atmosphere of the country is already heating up gradually, toward the General Elections of January and February, 2027.
“There is no doubt that it is only with a thriving economy and free enterprise that our democracy would be rooted and attention given to the development and growth of our economy through free business enterprises.”
The chamber boss said that this could be achieved by unleashing the industrial sector and harnessing the oil and non-oil sectors of the nation’s economy for the much talked about value chain for growth and development.
“We are very hopeful that the 37th Enugu International Trade Fair would be a success, despite the challenges in the economic environment,” he said.
Onyemelukwe noted that the fair would attract hundreds of major companies in Nigeria, while the chamber has advanced talks with Ghanaian and Kenyan officials and business concerns in terms of participation.
He said that Gov. Peter Mbah would declare the fair open and the opening ceremony would attract Ministers, captains of industry and other critical business stakeholders within the country.
He said: “Some of the strategies meant to make the fair exceptional include: free gate fee for all, tight security, 24-hour power, and exhibitors will use the newly inaugurated 3000 square metre tent.
“We will deepen the use of social media as a marketing mix to reinforce our conventional media publicity and outreach in promoting the fair as well as putting more funding in publicity; provision of free transport services to/fro the trade fair complex from Abakpa, Emene, Gariki and Holy Ghost Bus Terminals. This will be at prime time of each day, 4pm precisely, to encourage Enugu people to visit the fair.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: ECCIMA officials at the briefing.
