The President of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and lndustry , Dr. Olawale Michael Cole, made the call at the opening of the 36th edition of Lagos lnternational Trade Fair held at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said since the inception of the fair 36 years ago, it has continued to show the way for others to follow. He applauded the LCCI for assisting businesses to survive. He said: “We will create a business model where everything needed would be found in the state. The state is not immune to global challenges, which affect businesses. In spite of the challenging environment, we will continue to look at what needs to be done to take the youths out of unemployment market by deploying technology and putting in place start-up funds.”
Declaring the fair open, Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, represented by the Minister for Trade and lnvestment, Niyi Adebayo, commended the organisers for the initiative, noting that the “forum is contributing to the Gross Domestic Product and job creation.” He noted that Nigeria was faced with many socio-political challenges hindering development. Udeagbala expressed concerns on the 2023 budget, which he noted, would plunge the nation into more borrowing and debt. He lamented the unstable exchange rates and crude oil theft in the country.