Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Dr Chinyere Almona, has hailed the country’s Chinese trade partners for what she described as “their invaluable support towards Nigeria’s industrialisation efforts”.

Speaking during this year’s ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair, which she said has served as a premier platform for trade and investment, she said the partnerships offer critical support to Nigeria’s local industries, accelerating industrial growth and fostering sustainable development.

“Given Nigeria’s current economic landscape, strategic partnerships with countries that possess comparative advantages in machinery production for food processing, automotive manufacturing, energy management technologies, and industrial tools are essential. To this end, a large trade delegation from China will collaborate with Nigerian businesses across various sectors, to foster valuable commerce deals worth millions of dollars during this year’s trade fair,” she said.

The LCCI boss added that the fair will highlight innovative products and services that are vital to Nigeria’s economic sectors including West Africa hardware, tools and mechatronics, showcasing a diverse range of products essential to Nigeria’s core industries. She added that the fairs are designed not only to showcase products and technologies but also to enable hands-on interaction and knowledge exchange.

“They present an invaluable opportunity for Nigerian companies to connect with their Chinese counterparts, establish supply chains, and explore innovations that align with Nigeria’s development goals across various sectors. We encourage all stakeholders to take full advantage of the opportunities at these fairs to foster lasting, impactful partnerships,” she stated.

Almona said that despite the country’s harsh economic condition, which has affected businesses Nigeria’s trade sector continues to record a resilient profile, performing well above many other industries.

She called for more streamlined trade procedures to encourage more trading partners to interact with Nigerian businesses. This, she said, would create more trading opportunities for Nigerian wholesale and retail businesses, especially small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs).