LCCI to promote trade linkages with expo

With the ICT and telecommunication sectors gradually becoming a value-chain driver of other sectors, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has expressed optimism of using its trade promotion tool to advance linkages in the country.

Indeed, in choosing which of the sectors to commence the series exhibition, the chamber said it considered the area of activity that had recently “revolutionised” business transformation and growth, improving the standard of living and communities through innovations.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of its ICTEL Expo 2015 tagged “Connecting businesses, creating opportunities” in Lagos, on Monday, LCCI President, Remi Bello explained that the LCCI, by providing this platform for players in the ICT and telecommunication sectors, is opening new vista of opportunities, which can only be created by a proactive and forward-looking organisation like the chamber.

“ICTEL Expo 2015 will therefore mark the beginning of LCCI’s new venture into the specialised exhibition sphere. With its years of experience in organisation of trade promotion activities, there is no doubt that it will be another success story for ICTEL EXPO.

“Today, virtually all sectors rely on the ICT for all aspects of their operations. From the financial sector, where e-banking is now the vogue, the agricultural sector where government now sells fertilizer through mobile phones to the consumer goods sector where online stores are now all over, ICT and telecommunications have become the backbone of businesses.

“As the foremost private sector body in Nigeria, the Lagos Chamber cannot but provide a credible platform such as the ICTEL Expo to advance the opportunities and linkages in the world of ICT”, Bello added.

The Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Dr. Michael Olawale-Cole, said: “The Expo gives a 360 degress view of the ICT industry and gives top visibility to sweeping trends innovations as well as providing an excellent networking opportunity for business decision makers, innovation managers, enterprise solution providers, startups, ICT academics, Original Equipment Manufacturers, investors, venture capitalists and other players in the ICT and telecoms sectors (indigenous and international).”

Olawale-Cole said in choosing the sectors, the LCCI was quite aware of the revolutionary roles ICT and telecommunications were playing in the advent of a new sphere of business relationship and development.