By Franklin Alli
What is responsible for the low patronage by both local and foreign companies in our international trade fairs? Is it preparation cum awareness problem on the parts of the organisers; could it be the effect of global meltdown on companies, home and abroad?

These questions are begging for answers because the organisers of international trade fairs in the country (Chambers of Commerce) are yet to hit 500 or 1,000 exhibitors mark in the last two decades.   Every year, six international trade fairs are held across the country.

They are: Lagos, Kaduna, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Jos.   All the fairs are approved by NACCIMA, the umbrella body of all the chambers of commerce movement in the country. However, neither Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, etc, have recorded above 250 exhibitors when compared with their international counterparts.

For instance, no fewer than 200 companies participated in the just ended 25th edition of the Lagos International Trade Fair, according to the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organisers of the Fair.

Comparatively, the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in India. The IITF, which takes place in Pragati Maiden, New Delhi from 14 to 27 November, is one of the largest trade fairs in the world both in terms of exhibitor and visitor participation.

7, 500 exhibitors from all over the world participate in the fair, which offers participants from different segments of industry adequate visibility for their products and services among fair visitors. Similarly, the Canton Fair in China, said to be the largest export market of shoes made in China attracts more than 3,800 exhibitors mainly coming from some Chinese shoe producing bases, and has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Another example is Drupa exhibition, which is the largest printing equipment exhibition in the world. It is held every four years at Messe Dusseldorf, (City of Düsseldorf), Germany. While 1,968 exhibitors from 53 countries participate in the fair, 389,993 trade visitors from 138 countries (59% from countries other than Germany) attend the exhibition.

Leading foreign exhibitor nations:  Italy (191 companies), China (139), Great Britain (135), and the USA (105).  The number of U.S. companies included 27 exhibitors in the North American Pavilion.