34TH KANO TRADE FAIR: NPA boss, Abdullahi, roots for event, begs Northern states to support
• Chamber appoints Authority ‘Corporate Partner’
Throwing his weight behind the upcoming 34th Kano Trade Fair in his home-state, Kano State-born Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mallam Habib Abdullahi, has implored other states in Northern Nigeria to support the Kano Chamber of Commerce, organisers of the annal fair, by ensuring their full participation in this year’s edition and all similar events organised by the Chamber.
The Kano Trade Fair, according to Abdullahi, is an effective avenue for the states in Northern Nigeria to showcase their potentials and attract investors to their states in various spheres of business endeavours.
Abdullahi was speaking Tuesday at the NPA House, Marina, Lagos, when he received in audience executive members of the Kano Chamber of Commerce, who paid him a courtesy call in his office.
The NPA boss reiterated that the annual Kano Trade Fair should serve as a mobilising forum for all the Northern States.
He counseled the fair organisers to impress on participants to change their orientation of participation from exhibition to displaying their potentials, so as to attract investors.
He assured that the NPA would not only ensure its full participation in this year’s fair as a corporate partner, but would also support the organisation of the fair to ensure the event’s overall success.
While commending the level of the organisation of the previous fairs hosted by the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Abdullahi urged the fair organisers to strive to maintain the standard, so as to achieve the desired result.
He applauded the plan by the Chamber to introduce innovations that are aimed at accommodating the changes in the national and world economy.
According to him, the NPA will also partner with the Chamber by recommending and drafting resource persons to facilitate the Commerce Week that will hold during the Kano Trade Fair.
The NPA boss challenged Chambers of Commerce in other landlocked areas to emulate what the Kano Chamber of Commerce is doing, in order to boost the whole economy for the desired growth.
Earlier, the President of the Kano Chamber of Commerce Alhaji Farouk Rabiu, had told the NPA Managing Director that the Chamber was pleased with the NPA’s participation in previous fairs hosted by the Chamber.
Rabiu had informed Abdullahi of the innovations the Chamber has introduced to the forthcoming 34th edition of Kano Trade Fair, which, according to him, would expose participants to new business opportunities through training, seminars and workshops on commerce and investments.
Rabiu explained that the innovations are aimed at attracting embassies, and international organisations, which, according to him, if done well will go a long way to demonstrate that the security situation in Kano State has improved somewhat as a result of the good works of the government in this regard.
The Kano Chamber of Commerce boss told Abdullahi that the NPA has been selected as a Corporate Partner for the hosting of this year’s Kano Trade Fair, considering what was described as NPA’s records of performance in previous outings at the fair.
The president presented an Award for Excellence to the Managing Director on behalf of the Kano chamber of commerce.
Those on the Kano Chamber of Commerce delegation included the Treasurer, Mr. Uba Miiinyawa; and the Chairman, Distributive, Trade and Allied Group, and Mr. Babangida Lamido.
Also present at the meeting on the side of NPA were the Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Alhaji Mohammed Saleh; and the Special Assistant to the Managing Director, Mr. Buhari Abdullahi.
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