Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Tuesday, declared the 10th Kwara Trade Fair in Ilorin, the state capital, open.

At the event, the governor pledged to continue to upgrade existing infrastructure and build new ones to ease the movement of people, goods and services across the state.

The governor said his administration will continue to streamline business processes to improve the ease of doing business and keep the state as a top investment destination in the country.

AbdulRazaq added that his administration has continued to support businesses to grow, especially small-scale businesses that are the arteries of any economy.

He hailed the Kwara Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (KWACCIMA), the organised private sector, and other relevant stakeholders for their efforts and contributions that culminated in the hosting of the trade fair. “Regardless of the general economic situations worldwide, the quality of what we are seeing here is a testament to the conducive environment that Kwara has become for all legitimate businesses and economic concerns.

What is at play here are ingenuity, innovation, and collaboration,” the governor said.

He said the government will continue to work with all stakeholders, especially all the security agencies, to keep Kwara safe and healthy for businesses to thrive.

Earlier, the KWACCIMA President, Mrs Ronke Adeyemí, had said the fair was designed to allow the business community to showcase their products and services and attract customers and investors.

She said the choice of theme for this year's edition — Renewed Hope of Transforming Commerce — was necessitated by the economic realities across the world and a need to work together to trudge through the difficult time.

Adeyemí appreciated Governor AbdulRazaq for his love for the development of the private sector and his support for the agency to host the 10th trade fair.