Lagos Trade Fair Closes With Call For Better Infrastructure, Lower Business Costs

The 40th Lagos International Trade Fair closed with a renewed call for better infrastructure and lower business costs to unlock more investment and growth.

The closing ceremony, held on Sunday brought together government officials, diplomats, business leaders, exhibitors, sponsors and partners to celebrate the milestone edition held under the theme, “40 Years of Trade, Growth and Global Connection.”

Speaking, the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folashade Bada Ambrose-Medebem, said ten days ago, Lagos welcomed more than 50,000 participants, thousands of exhibitors and business delegations from over 20 countries.

“You came to showcase ideas and products, build relationships, find new markets and pursue opportunities. Together, you have made this milestone edition a powerful celebration of enterprise and ambition,” she said.

She said forty years is more than an anniversary. It represents four decades of Nigerian enterprise, commercial relationships built across borders and Lagos State’s enduring role as a meeting point for ideas, products, capital and ambition.

“Through changing economic conditions, the Lagos International Trade Fair has brought producers closer to markets, businesses closer to partners and investors closer to opportunity.

“We honour that record and look ahead with a clear purpose: the next forty years must bring greater productivity, stronger local industry, more competitive exports and broader prosperity,” Ambrose-Medebem said.

She commended the LCCI for sustaining the institution over four decades, saying its enduring partnership with government has helped advance enterprise, investment and economic opportunity in Lagos and Nigeria.

She said this year’s theme speaks directly to the realities facing businesses today, as technology is changing how goods and services are produced, financed, marketed and delivered, supply chains are shifting, and consumer expectations are rising.

“Lagos and Nigeria have a choice: to remain at the edges of global commerce, or to build the capacity to produce, process, innovate and compete at scale.

Ambrose-Medebem reaffirmed the commitment to creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, investment to flourish and opportunity to reach more residents.

President/chairman of Council, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Engr. Leye Kupoluyi, expressed profound appreciation to the Lagos State Government for its continuous support of the Fair, especially towards the success of the 2026 edition.

Kupoluyi, said, “we hope that governments at all levels will continue to address the issues of creating an enabling environment in the country, especially regarding infrastructure and security, and to implement the right policies to address the key drivers of high inflation and the cost of doing business.

“We need to do this to fully harness the vast enterprising resources of domestic and foreign investors for the diversification of our economy and the welfare of our people.”