Nigeria to take country pavilion at IATF in Cairo

Nigeria has become the second country to announce plans to take a country pavilion at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) being organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Cairo from December 11 to 17, 2018.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made the announcement Monday during an engagement session on the IATF co-organised by Afreximbank and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

Osinbajo said that Nigeria would participate effectively in the Trade Fair and would use it as an opportunity to showcase its trade and investment opportunities.

In June, South Africa announced that it would take a country pavilion.

Osinbajo, who was represented by Raymon Adeola Ipaye, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Nigerian Presidency, said, “We believe that the Trade Fair will provide an opportunity for Nigeria to engage with other countries and investors who are interested in partnering with Nigeria to support the “Zero Oil Policy” to reposition the Nigerian economy,”

He urged Nigerian companies and states to book space at the trade fair in order to showcase their unique goods and services, asking them to spread word about the trade fair to their networks so as to ensure that Nigeria was properly represented.

Also speaking, Jigawa State Governor Mohammed Badaru said that there was need to reinforce the collective belief that African economic liberation could only be realized by and within the African continent.

Represented by Ibrahim Hassan, Deputy Governor of the state, Abubakar, who is also Chairman National Committee on Export Promotion of the National Economic Council, said that Nigeria was committed to leveraging on the opportunities to be created by the trade fair to expand its continental trade.