ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- President Bola Tinubu has reiterated Nigeria’s readiness and openness for both domestic and international investment partnerships, assuring investors of a stable and transparent business environment.
He gave the assurance at the 39th edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair (LITF), organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), on Friday in Lagos. Represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh, the President said Nigeria was fully open for business.
The 2025 edition of the fair, which runs from November 7 to 16, showcases Nigerian entrepreneurship, innovation, and the richness of global economic partnerships.
Tinubu said his administration was restructuring the economy to ensure stable policies rather than sudden reversals, honour contracts, and provide transparent incentives for manufacturers, exporters, and small businesses.
He added that the government was committed to digitising ports, establishing one-stop shops for business permits, implementing smarter taxation, and speeding up dispute resolution.
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He noted that Nigeria was not just a market of over 200 million people but also a nation of ideas, youthful brilliance, and limitless potential ready to be scaled up.
Describing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as the most ambitious economic project in modern Africa with a market of 1.4 billion people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $3.4 trillion Tinubu said Nigeria must not only participate but lead.
“This fair provides the partnerships, conversations, and networks that will take Nigerian products from textiles to technology, cocoa to creative arts to every corner of the continent and beyond,” he said.
“As you network, trade, and showcase your work, remember that every product made in Nigeria is a statement of confidence, and every partnership formed here is a step toward shared prosperity,” the President added.
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the fair’s theme, “Connecting Business, Creating Value,” perfectly reflected Lagos as a dynamic hub where vision meets value and enterprise meets opportunity.
Represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Folasade Ambrose-Medebem, Sanwo-Olu said investing in Lagos meant investing in a city of over 23 million dreamers and doers, with a young, tech-savvy, and forward-looking market.
He explained that the state government was committed to creating the strongest enabling environment for businesses to thrive, having strengthened trade fundamentals, simplified investment procedures through one-stop facilitation centres, improved land and trade documentation processes, and enhanced access to transparent investor data.
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The governor emphasized that his administration was deeply committed to supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives, and inclusive growth.
“One of our administration’s key priorities is innovative financing, creating new ways for businesses to access funds for growth and facilitating market access,” he said.
“We are also working to deepen our trade facilitation efforts, connecting Lagos-based businesses to regional and international buyers.
“Each year at this fair, new partnerships are born partnerships that lead to new factories, export deals, and job opportunities. This is the power of connection. This is the value of Lagos,” he added.
“To our exhibitors and visitors: Lagos is open. Engage, connect, explore, and build. Whether you are here from Ghana or Germany, Japan or Jos, know that Lagos is your home for commerce,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Mr. Gabriel Idahosa, described the fair as an incubator of ideas and a catalyst for commerce.
He said it was an opportunity for enterprises to showcase resilience-driven solutions, explore synergies, and drive sustainable growth across Nigeria and the wider region.
Idahosa commended both federal and state governments for their participation, describing it as a tangible demonstration of commitment to empowering the private sector to produce for local consumption and export.
He encouraged Nigerian entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity to network with international exhibitors, initiate distributorship deals, and foster trade agreements that would enhance their value chains and diversify product offerings.