Members of D-8 will participate in the forthcoming 12th Kwara Trade Fair, the chairman of the event and first Deputy President of the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA), Ibrahim Hassan Sani, has said.

Speaking at a press conference held yesterday, Sani said the promoters invited the global body in a bid to elevate the fair’s status from a national exhibition into an international one, as well as improve Nigeria’s bilateral trade relations with other nations. He said exhibitors are expected from Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran and Pakistan.

The Kwara Trade Fair is an annual business expo organised by KWACCIMA, the umbrella body for the organised private sector in the state. The 2025 edition will hold from December 5th to 15th at the Kwara Stadium Complex, Ilorin.

Sani urged business organisations across Nigeria, including federal and state-owned corporations, agencies, and parastatals, as well as research and educational institutions, artisans, and nano, micro, small, medium, and large-scale industries, to participate.

The 11-day event is themed ‘Empowering Local Entrepreneurs for Global Competitiveness’. Sani said the choice of the theme reflects the belief that empowering local entrepreneurs for global markets is a key strategy for national economic growth and development. He added that the fair would also showcase the abundant natural and human resources waiting to be tapped for economic prosperity in Kwara.