Date: 2020-03-19

No fewer than 300 SMEs operators across Kwara state will converge at Ilorin the state capital as a social entrepreneur group, Classic Trending Fabric(CTF) Exhibition has finalised arrangements to organise a Trade fair for them to showcase their talents through their products.

The convener of the fair, Mrs. Islamiyat Toyin Olodo while addressing a press conference in Ilorin on Tuesday on the level of preparations for the Trade Fair noted that the target was to increase sales and boost economic growth among the teeming business owners in the state.

The trade fair and exhibition is slated between 27th and 28th March 2020 at Arca Santa Arena, Ilorin.

According to her, "the state is blessed with entrepreneurs but lack of awareness on the sales of their products has remained a major task. The trade fair will, therefore, provide the platform and ample opportunity for them to get the needed exposures that would turn the fortune of their business around for good"

She noted that the group with its investigations discovered that so many talents and products are lying fallow and wasted in Kwara state hence the need to organise the fair to enable the small entreprenuers to put forward their products on display for sale so as to boost the economic growth of the state.

Olodo who said that the programme will be second of its series added that, the trade fair will also create visibility networking and collaboration for entrepreneurs in the state.

She stressed that "This will also give entrepreneurs the opportunity to see and learn from what their competitors are doing and to have an edge above others at the end of the day and more importantly to accelerate their economic viability".

She opined that "In a bid to continue to make a positive impact in entrepreneurship space, the group decided to plan the second edition of CTF Exhibition that will hold on 27th and 28th March 2020 at Arca Santa Arena, Ilorin.

"It is clear that this year's edition is an improvement on this first edition as we are now partnering with one of the best SME friendly Financial institute in Nigeria, ADVANS Lafayette Micro Finance Bank.

"To give our vendors easy access to soft loans with flexible mode of payment to scale up and generate more revenue for our respective businesses".

She also said that the group has partnered with D Positive Global Image Consult so as to train vendors on digital marketing and more importantly, how to optimise opportunities that come from the trade fair.

She recalled that, "the first edition of the trade fair and exhibition that took place on the 3rd and 4th of August, 2019 at Kwara Banquet hall with over 300 vendors and not less than 10,000 buying crowd and was declared open by the first lady of Kwara State, Mrs. Olufolake Abdulrasaq, representatives of Kwara State Ministry of Enterprise as well as members of Kwara Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture and it was a huge success".