Foreign exhibitors at the ongoing Lagos International Trade Fair organized by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry have expressed their disappointment over closure of Nigeria’s land borders.
Reacting on Monday, several of the exhibitors said that the efforts of the Federal Government would boost patronage of Made-in-Nigeria products/services, but argued that the interests of foreign traders exhibiting at the international fair were not considered.
According to them, preferences should have been given to the exhibitors in order to ease the burden of spending fortunes to importing their goods into the country.
A dealer in malaria prevention products and Chief Executive Officer, Exa Ventures, Doris Adoboe, called on the government to open the borders as she said it was affecting her sales.
She made known that apart from the fact that coming down for the fair wasn’t an easy feat, she had not been able to sell her products effectively because of the border closure.
Another exhibitor, Managing Director, Julicraft Creations, Juliet Anane, the producer of beads and garments based in Ghana, lamented that the border closure was terrible and narrated her encounter with the customs officials while coming to the fair.
She said, “The closure is very terrible they seized our goods, there were many challenges we faced coming here, they seized the goods and later returned them. The way they embarrassed us is not good even our dummies and everything, when we got to the station they said they aren’t taking any goods in.
