A nine-day exhibition that witnessed the networking of thirty Nigerian Businesses with their Nigerian counterparts ended on Friday, 21st October 2022.
The fair, coordinated by the Gambia Investment & Export Promotion Agency (GiEPA) and the Nigerian High Commission (NHC), was supported by local partners, including the Gambian Chamber for Commerce & Industry (GCCI), Gambia Police Force (GPF), Gambia Immigration Department GID), Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) & Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), as well as Business Service Organizations affiliated to GiEPA.
The Banjul exhibition was funded by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Nigerian Export and Promotion Council (NEPC), and GiEPA. Major activities underpinning the event includes a formal opening ceremony held on Friday 14th October, a formal dinner with the visiting Nigerian officials held on Saturday, 15th October, and the First Lady – Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow’s visit on Sunday, 16th October 2022, to interact with entrepreneurs and commemorate breast cancer awareness day.
Reflective twilight engagements of the exhibition were characterized by an entertainment show that spanned six days, staging prominent Nigerian artists and twenty-five other Gambian musicians proudly entertaining the teeming crowds daily.
Speaking to Alkamba Times on the conclusion of the fair, the Communications Manager of GiEPA – Baboucarr Camara, on behalf of GiEPA CEO and Board of Directors, thanked staff and all partners, including the Gambia and Nigerian Governments, the First Lady, Office of the President, NHC, SMEDAN, NEPC, GCCI, GPF, GID, GCAA, NEDI, and the Youth and Women Chambers of Commerce.
Camara described the event as successful but pointed it out as a learning curve as the agency is planning and working on mega events for 2023 and beyond to make the Gambia not only an investment hub but a center for regional trade and a force to be reckoned with in promoting inter-African trade by all its facets.
