LASG highlights economic opportunities, urges collaboration for economic success

The Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, has highlighted the significance of the Lagos Multi-sector Trade Fair in an increasingly interconnected world, where economic success depends on cross-sector collaboration.

In her keynote address delivered during the MSME Fiesta, hosted at the sidelines of the trade fair, Ambrose-Medebem said that sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, technology, finance, logistics, creative industries, tourism, real estate, healthcare, among others, must work together to unlock new opportunities, create jobs, increase productivity, and build resilient value chains.

The commissioner, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Trade and Industries, Mr. Shobayo Dayo, acknowledged that Lagos Multi-Sector Trade Fair has brought together entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers who had done well to showcase the state’s economic potentials. The event, held at the De Blue Roof Event Centre, Ikeja, featured exhibitions, keynote speeches, and networking sessions.

Ambrose-Medebem said that the trade fair highlighted Lagos’ resilience and creativity, with attendees emphasising the importance of collaboration across sectors and industries. “This trade fair is more than an exhibition of products and services. It’s a marketplace of ideas, opportunities, innovation, partnerships, and enterprise”, the commissioner said.

She reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to building a globally competitive economy, saying the present administration in Lagos state has prioritised economic growth, infrastructure development, and technological innovation.
Ambrose-Mebedem listed the government’s key interventions in supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to include the N10 billion LASG-BOI Access to Finance for MSMEs Through Cooperatives programme.

The lead speaker at the MSME fiesta, Dr. Bunmi Kole-Dawodu, who is also the Deputy Director in charge of strategic partnership at the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria, identified resilience architecture, digitisation, alternative and blended finance, and other factors as what can build permanence into MSMEs to scale the present economic challenges.

Other speakers included Lanre Johnson, the Managing Director and co-founder of erpSOFTapp; Akonte Ekine, CEO of Absolute PR; Dr. Femi Egbesola, President of the Association of Business Owners of Nigeria; and Shimater Tewase, Marketing Manager at Artech 2000.