China Commodities Expo-Nigeria:a promising market to cultivate

From 5th to 9th November 2013， China Commodities Expo-Nigeria as part of Lagos International Trade Fair was successfully held in Lagos， Nigeria. The fair was jointly hosted by Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce， China， and the Department of Commerce of Shangdong Province. It was organized by Brightway International Exhibition Corp.， Ltd.

Lagos International Trade Fair is a major exhibition in Nigeria and even the entire West Africa region. The fair is sponsored by Nigerian Chamber of Commerce. It was first held in 1981， and became an annual event in 1986. It has been seven years since the Chinese exhibition group participated in a national pavilion. This year， there were 101 Chinese exhibitors， possessing 2，200 m2 of exhibition area， including 110 m2 outdoor space. These exhibitors mainly came from Beijing， Shanghai， Tianjin， Chongqing， Shangdong， Zhejiang， Jiangsu， Guangdong， Fujian， and Henan provinces. The exhibition area was divided into four sections： electrical and mechanical goods， construction materials， hardwares， civil electronical appliances， showcasing Chinese quality and company image.

According to statistics， during the exhibition period，the Chinese pavilion was visited by 40，000 audiences， 10，000 of which were trade visitors.Each exhibitor received an average of 31 visitors. Generally speaking，the Chinese exhibitors were satisfied with the exhibition. They view Nigeria as a market with great potential， but agree that it takes time to cultivate the market and to find business contact. So far， some Chinese exhibitors have established their own subsidiaries and offices in Lagos. Consultant Liu Xianfa from China’s Consulate attended the Reception of the Opening Ceremony and gave a speech. Chinese trade promotion organizations visited the Chinese pavilion. Local mainstream media also gave coverage of the Chinese Pavilion， which greatly boosted the influence of the Chinese exhibition group and the Chinese image.

Since 2002， Brightway International Exhibition Corp.， Ltd. has been organizing Chinese companies to participate in Lagos International Trade Fair for many times. The Chinese pavilion was set up in 2007. In the past years， the pavilion has been exclaimed by the host of Lagos International Trade Fair as “Biggest International Exhibition Group” ， and Brightway International Exhibition Corp.， Ltd.“Best International Organizer”. It is reported that next year， Lagos International Trade Fair will be held from 11th to 15th， November 2014.