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| A pavilion at the Jos 2016 Trade Fair |
Contrary to the wide publicity given the lofty aims
and objectives of the ongoing Jos International Trade Fair and the event
itself, visitors and exhibitors alike at the trade fair have expressed deep reservations
over the attainment of these goals, as many people who visited the various
stands have gone back home disillusioned, alleging that the event was more of a
jamboree than a marketplace where customers and sellers alike could interact
and transact business to the mutual benefit of all concerned.
The trade fair, holding at the Jos Polo Ground
along Joseph Gomwalk Road in the state capital, was formally declared open on
Thursday, October 20, 2016 by Plateau State Governor, Barrister Simon Bako
Lalong, in the presence of dignitaries from the state as well as other states
of the federation. The event is jointly put together by the Plateau State
Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (PLACCIMA) and a Jos-based
event-management company with support from the state’s Ministry of Commerce and
Industry.
In his speech at the opening ceremony, PLACCIMA
President, Bulus Dareng declared that the 2016 trade fair was meant to
encourage and create opportunities for growth for small and medium scale
businesses in the state and the country at large. But going by the avalanche of
complaints emanating from stakeholders at the trade fair venue, it is doubtful
if the event would make meaningful impact on the business environment in the
state or the country at large.
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Some of the traders African Drum spoke to, expressed their views: One Abdullahi (a.k.a.
Doctor), a dealer in different kinds of textile materials, fired the first
salvo by criticizing the high price of N40,000 fixed as rent for a space at the
trade fair venue, without taking cognizance of the present economic hardship in
the country.
He said, “Apart from the N40,000, which is on the
high side, many of us have spent between N50,000 and N70,000 to raise up our
pavilions and it is doubtful if, at the end of the day, we would be able to
recoup our expenses let alone make profits.”
Nnena Umoke, a seller of electrical appliances, and
Vivian Tyevi, a food vendor, also decried the high rent. They explained that,
if the rent and cost of erecting pavilions was not high enough, there were the
additional expenses of scouting for and paying security men as well as shop
assistants and other incidental costs.
“The organizers have ensured adequate security is
provided at the [trade fair] venue by government security agencies to protect
lives and property, and we commend them for that. But because they are not
adequate in number, they cannot be everywhere at the venue and we have to
employ our own private security men to monitor activities at our stands. Add to
that the cost of employing salesgirls or sales boys and you find that our
overheads are quite high. Going by the volume of sales we have recorded so far,
it is impossible for us to make profit at the end of the exercise,” Vivian lamented.
At this point, Nnena cuts in: “We have complained
about the N40,000 charged for space, but the authorities assured us that
adequate publicity had been carried out on the trade fair and people would be
coming from about 16 states of the federation and patronage would be high.
“They told us we would likely begin to make profit
within the first four days of the event, but it is one week now and patronage
has been on the decline on daily basis. There is simply no guarantee that we
will recoup the money sunk into this project, not to talk of making profit.”
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| A restaurant at the Jos Trade Fair 2016 |
Investigation by African Dum shows that the low patronage complained of by the
exhibitors at the trade fair might not be unconnected with the high price of
items on display at the various stands.
Maureen Gambo, a potential customer who went home
disappointed, said the items she saw at the trade fair complex were priced too
high. “Why is it called trade fair? I realized that the items on display here
are more expensive than the same items on display outside the trade fair venue.
The essence [ of the trade fair] is defeated,” she declared.
Barnabas Ishaku, another disappointed potential
buyer, was in support of Gambo. He expressed dismay at the high price of goods
at the trade fair, saying the same goods could be bought in the open market at
much cheaper prices.
Another visitor, Comfort Obinna, said: “I am only
window-shopping because I can’t afford to buy anything here. I realized that
things are cheaper outside this venue.”
After hearing the complaints by the exhibitors of
goods and services at the trade fair, it was the general consensus by many that
the high cost of renting space and erecting infrastructure on the ground were
responsible for the relatively high cost of items put on display by the
traders.
Another issue which came under the observation of
visitors to the trade fair was the total absence of entrepreneurs and
businessmen from other countries. Considering that the event was supposed to
have an international flavour, the conspicuous absence of foreign exhibitors of
goods and services was not missed by keen observers.
African Drum sought to know from some officials of the
organizers on ground why international businessmen were not present, but none
of them was willing to comment as they were not authorized to speak to the
press.
It will be recalled that the Simon Lalong
Administration in the state has spent valuable time and money in the past
one-and-a-half years, wooing international investors to come and invest on the
Plateau. Their absence at the trade fair was therefore received with mixed
feelings.
While some laid the blame on the doorsteps of
insecurity which had bedeviled the state in the recent past, others attributed
it to uncertainty about government policies and lack of trust by foreigners based
on their perception of Nigerians as untrustworthy businessmen.
Be that as it may, many visitors to the Polo Ground
complex praised PLACCIMA and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for coming
together to stage the trade fair which had been on hold due to the precarious
security situation that pervaded the state in the last couple of years. They
also gave kudos to the organizers for sparing no effort in seeing that security
forces were drafted to the venue of the trade fair in appreciable number to ensure
safety of lives and property.
Meanwhile, as the event gathers momentum and runs
to a close, many visitors expressed the hope that PLACCIMA and the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry would put heads together to see how the prices of goods
and services on display could be reduced to enable both buyers and sellers
benefit optimally from the trade fair.
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