Artisans tag Enugu Trade Fair ‘worst’ over low participation, lack of jobs

Some artisans in Enugu State have expressed dismay over the low patronage at the ongoing 34th Enugu International Trade Fair.

Some artisans told journalists in Enugu on Monday that they had been coming to the fair searching for jobs but could not find clients.

They described the fair as the `worst’ in terms of participation.

An artisan, Boniface Ogbodo, a student of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, said he had been transporting himself to the fair in the past week for a job of any kind but to no avail.

Mr Ogbodo said he later changed his mind to see if he could get a job as a sales boy in any of the exhibitors’ stands, but it was still not forthcoming.

“By this time, in previous fairs, I have done as many jobs as possible that I could not even meet demands. But this year, I could not even get a single exhibition stand to erect,” he stated. “The worst part of it is that I have used the little pocket money I have on transportation to the fair in anticipation of getting a job. Such jobs help me in my studies.”

Another artisan, Cyril Onwuka, said he had been constructing stands for exhibitors in the fair for the past 10 years, adding that he was yet to get a job in this year’s trade fair.

Mr Onwuka said the number of artisans in the fair was more than the number of participants.

He explained that the poor state of facilities at the fair contributed to the low participation of exhibitors, urging the state and federal governments to do something about it.

A hawker, Ebere Agu, also blamed the location of the fair complex for low participation and patronage as the place was on the outskirts of the state capital.

“I have been moving up and down in the fair since morning looking for patronage for my snacks business but could not find buyers,” she said.

The fair commenced on March 24. 

(NAN)