Companies from Rwanda, China and many others across the states currently participate in the 35th Enugu International Trade Fair.

Odeiga Jideonwo, the president of the Enugu Chamber of Commerce, Industry Mining and Agriculture (ECCIMA), said on Sunday that the number of participants and exhibitors increased.

The fair began on Friday.

Mr Jideonwo said that due to the increasing number of companies and corporate entities coming to showcase their goods, services, and ideas, “it is difficult to give the total number of participating companies and corporate entities at the fair.”

He said the event had offered great opportunities for industrialists, investors, buyers, and sellers within and outside the country to interact, exchange business ideas, and share experiences to promote investment and general economic growth.

According to him, ECCIMA is determined to sustain the effort and continue to improve the standards of made-in-Nigeria products to give them the needed visibility.

Mr Jideonwo said it was time for the public and private sectors to meaningfully engage each other in removing bureaucratic bottlenecks and over-regulations by government agencies.

He said such would support the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

He noted that no economy could grow when its SMEs were not performing, adding that the growth of SMEs had a positive relation with GDP growth.

The president said that every emphasis in Nigeria should be on creating a supportive environment for SMEs, which remained the bedrock of Nigerian economic growth.

“We are calling on the Federal Government and its agencies created to support the development of the micro, small and medium enterprises to closely work together with the organised private sector.

“This will help to fill the gap relating to the provision of collaterals and other related issues hindering the accessibility of credit by this sector, to unleash the development of this critical sector of the economy,” he said. 

(NAN)