Lagos International Trade Fair

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Lagos International Trade Fair
LITF
Lagos International Trade Fair
Address Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos Island
Location Flag of Lagos.svg Lagos, Lagos State, Flag of Nigeria.svg  Nigeria
Coordinates 6°27′49″N3°14′49″E / 6.46361°N 3.24694°E / 6.46361; 3.24694 [1]
Operator Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
TypeInternational Trade Fair
Surface350 hectare [1]
Construction
Built1974-1977 [1]
Opened1977
ArchitectZoran Bojović, with Predrag Ðaković, Milorad Cvijić & Ljiljana Bojović [1]
Builder Energoprojekt holding [1]
Website
lagosinternationaltradefair.com.ng

The Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF) is the largest international exhibition in West Africa. The Trade Fair is the premier International Trade Fair in Nigeria with the spectacular 10-day event usually starting on the first Friday of November, annually. [2]

Contents

History

The first Lagos international trade fair was held in 1977 shortly after Eko Hotels and Suites was completed. [3] [4]

It is staged every year and organized by the Trade Promotions Board and the oldest chamber of commerce in Nigeria: the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). [5] [6] It is reputed to be the largest business market in the ecowas sub-region as it attracts investors from other parts of the world. It is a 10-day annual fair which begins in the first Friday of November.

The fair is one of the major attractions of Lagos' commercial yearly activities. Since its inception, it has grown to become the largest trade show in subsaharan Africa [7] and has attracted both national and international entrepreneurs from over 1600 companies all over the world [8] The Trade Fairs spans approximately 40, 000 meters squared of exhibited space. The Fair which is staged with the support and co-operation of the Federal and the State Governments covers all aspects of business and economic activities in Nigeria. It offers a unique exposition for manufacturers, suppliers, buyers and users of a wide range of goods and services as well as opportunities for investment and trade promotions. It was initially staged at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex at Badagry Expressway, Ojo before relocating to Tafawa Balewa Square. The Lagos International trade fair complex is a hexagonal shaped exhibition hall covered with space roof elements and shading panels, which formed a new trend in architectural innovation of its time over the years. [9] [10] [11] [12] Organizations partnered with the fair include the National directorate of employment, Nigerian business organisations, foreign organisations and governments, ECOWAS member states, diplomatic missions and trade representatives, federal and state government-owned companies, agencies, parastatals, research and educational institutions [13] Nigerian celebrities are appointed as goodwill Ambassadors as part of measures to spice up the programme and Companies are allowed to make use of side attractions to source for patronage. [14]

Subsections Of The Fair

In September 2015, the Chairman, Trade Promotion Board of the LCCI, Dr. Olawale Cole, announced that the Trade Fair will be holding simultaneously in 3 different locations. [15] He further revealed that the events will be the general trade fair which will hold at the Tafawa Balewa Square; the Lagos Creative Industry Fair which will hold at Freedom Park; and the Business to Business Exhibition which will hold at Muson Centre.

Lagos Creative Industry Fair

Eko Akete is a ten-day cultural manifestation during which hundreds of performers animate Freedom Park, Lagos with artistic and intellectual offerings. [16] Both indigenous and international acts perform in what is said to be the biggest cultural fair in West Africa. [17]

According to the Creative Industry Principal Partner, Jahman Anikulapo, "Lagos Creative Festival 'EKO AKETE' organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry in conjunction with CORA and Freedom Park will be used to showcase the creative industry and explore the linkage between the creative industry and the formal businesses." [18]

In 2015, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry presents the 2015 Lagos International Trade Fair, the premiere international trade fair in West Africa [19]

Business To Business Exhibition

The Business to Business Exhibition of the Lagos International Trade Fair holds at Muson Centre, and hosts multinational organizations and foreign investors; and serves as a platform for exhibitions, networking, Business-to-Business meetings, and an Investment Conference. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagos</span> City in southwestern Nigeria

Lagos or Lagos City is the most populous city in Nigeria, with an estimated population of 21 million in 2015. The estimated population for Lagos was more than 26 million in 2023; and around 30 million for the Lagos metropolitan area. Lagos is the most populous urban area in Africa. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 following the government's decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has been described as the cultural, financial, and entertainment capital of Africa, and is a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas. The megacity has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. The Lagos metropolitan area is a major educational and cultural centre in Sub Saharan Africa. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagos State</span> State in Nigeria

Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 states, it is both the most populous and smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the northeast making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abubakar Tafawa Balewa</span> Prime Minister of Nigeria from 1960 to 1966

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Badagry Division</span> Administrative division of Lagos State

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagos Fashion Week</span> Annual international trade show in Nigeria

Lagos Fashion Week (LagosFW) is an annual multi-day clothing trade show that takes place in Lagos, Nigeria. It was founded in 2011 by Omoyemi Akerele and it is Africa’s largest fashion event drawing considerable media attention, nationally and internationally. It showcases over 60 Nigerian and African fashion designers to a global audience of more than 40.000 retailers, media and consumers. It has helped propel African designers and fashion brands, such as Orange Culture, Lisa Folawiyo and Christie Brown to international recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lekki</span> City in Lagos State, Nigeria

Lekki is a city in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located to the south-east of Lagos city. Lekki is a naturally formed peninsula, adjoining to its west Victoria Island and Ikoyi districts of Lagos, with the Atlantic Ocean to its south, Lagos Lagoon to the north, and Lekki Lagoon to its east; however, the city's southeast, which ends around the western edge of Refuge Island, adjoins the eastern part of Ibeju-Lekki LGA.

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MUSON Centre (Musical Society of Nigeria) is a performance hall in Lagos. The multipurpose civic auditorium is located in the heart of Lagos Island, situated between the National Museum, the City Mall, the Onikan Stadium and the former official residence of the Nigeria’s Governors-General and adjacent to Tafawa Balewa Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tafawa Balewa Square</span> Ceremonial ground in Lagos, Nigeria

The Tafawa Balewa Square, (TBS) is a 14.5-hectare (35.8-acre) ceremonial ground in Lagos Island, Lagos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry</span>

The Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a non-profit organization that promotes the interests of the business community in Lagos, Nigeria. It provides a platform for businesses to express their opinions and concerns regarding legislative or other measures affecting trade, industry, commerce, and agriculture. The organization also represents the views of the Lagos business community on the economy as a whole. Its main goal is to support the growth and success of businesses in Lagos by advocating for their interests and providing resources and support. It boasts over 1,500 members with the current Director General being Chinyere Almona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Mall, Lagos</span> Shopping centre in Onikan, Lagos

The Lagos City Mall is a modern shopping centre located in Onikan, Lagos Island. It is in proximity to many prominent Lagos landmarks such as the Muson Centre, the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan Stadium, the National Museum and the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island.

The Lagos Creative Industry Fair is a section of the renowned Lagos International Trade Fair programming and is meant to widen the scope of the general trade fair to include other sectors that are usually left out, especially the creative industry.

Onikepo Olufunmike Akande, is a Nigerian economist, accountant and industrialist who served as the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and honorary life Vice-President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture.

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Tokini Peterside-Schwebig is a Nigerian entrepreneur, business woman and art collector. She is the founder of ART X Collective, a cultural management company in Lagos, Nigeria. The company's flagship fair, ART X Lagos, is the leading international art fair in West Africa.

The Experience is an annual, free gospel music concert held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos Island, Nigeria. Begun and hosted by House on the Rock lead pastor Paul Adefarasin in 2006, the first concert had an attendance of 70,000 people.

Toki Mabogunje is a Nigerian lawyer, broadcaster, poet and business consultant. She is the 3rd female president of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the founder Toki Mabogunje & Co. Toki is a member of the governing council, the World Chamber of Federation. She is a law graduate from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife. She earned her LLM in International Business Law from the University of Exeter, England. Mabogunje was honored in 2014 as the Personality of the year for World Theater Day and Cultural Ambassador by NANTAP

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References

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"Lagos Chamber of Commerce".