The 18th joint Odu’a trade fair started 12th November and will end 25th November, making it two weeks of Investors and companies, both local and international coming together to show case their products in Abeokuta.

The fair is presently taking place at the MKO Abiola International Trade Fair Complex in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital. The theme for the fair is “Connecting business beyond barriers for effective growth”. It was jointly organised by the six south-western states in Nigeria – Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos. The states council member of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture are the key organizers of the trade fair with the support of each state’s government.

According to the organizers, the organisations expected there include, the manufacturing companies, entrepreneurs and service providers, including MTN, a host of manufacturers from Ogun Guangdong FTZ, Igbesa, All Farmers’ Association, and Standards Organisation of Nigeria among other participants. It was made known that about 137 local government and over 100 companies across the six states will be present at the fair to showcase their products.

Nureni Ogunbayo, Chairman, Joint Planning Committee said that, “The Odua Joint Trade Fair had been suspended for a long time but now we are resuscitating it. We are expecting participants from agro-allied industries, manufacturers, small and medium enterprises to come and showcase all their produce. We want all the local governments of the six states to showcase all our natural resources in the state”.

Also speaking, the President, Odua Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ODUACCIMA), Alaba Lawson, declared that the fair would boost the economy of the state by showcasing local manufacturers, calling for the removal of all trade barriers militating against economic growth in Southwest in order to ensure effective growth of the economy.

But, Bimbo Ashiru, Ogun commissioner for commerce and industry said that government was putting up enabling environment for the success of the resuscitated Joint Odu’a trade fair, adding that Ogun state government was supporting the trade fair as part of its efforts to engender economic development in the whole Southwest region, especially in Ogun state which is one of the economic nerve centres of the region.

This is actually another opportunity for the investors to get more companies to invest in and for companies to get more people to be aware of their products and to patronize them. Also it is a means of making Ogun state a better place economically.