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Oyo Mega Trade Fair Hold in August
The Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013 designed to showcase and promote locally made products in Nigeria will hold August 9-18, according to the organizers.
Te trade fair with the theme “ Manufacturing Opportunities in Sensitizing the Nigerian Economy for Investment Evolution” will bring together an array of indigenous manufacturers, government agencies and companies to showcase their products, generate leads, increase visibility and interact with customers and buyers.
The 10 day event will encourage partnerships, joint venture initiatives, and improvement in quality goods production, packaging and service delivery and further enhance cooperation between Oyo State, manufacturers and other stakeholders from within and outside Nigeria.
Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013 will equally encourage local content development; facilitate trade interactions; showcase small and medium Enterprise (SME) potentials for co-operation; and equally promote non-oil products and services for export with a view to promoting competitiveness and recognition in the global market.
Participating in Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013, with proper planning and preparation, will be an excellent sales/marketing activity and a wise investment for many businesses.
With more than 1000 corporate organizations, numerous returnees, government agencies, trade unions, marketing consultants, foreign participants; and a visitor drive of over 300,000, Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013 promises to be the largest domestic trade fair in the history of Nigeria.
In size, Ibadan is the third largest city in Africa, coming behind Johannesburg and Cairo. It is home to 11 of the 33 local government areas of Oyo State.
Yet statistically, the city, in terms of population, is more than a third of the State. Politically, Ibadan is still the heartbeat of the South-West geo-political zone, in spite of the carving out of such states as Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti from what used to be the Western State of Nigeria.
The relevance of the city to the social equation of Nigeria cannot be wished away. The nation’s premier institution (the University of Ibadan) and the oldest surviving private newspaper, Nigerian Tribune, which are 64 and 63 years respectively, are located in the city.
All these social institutions are based in Ibadan, which is also home to Lead City University, one of the leading private universities in Nigeria, and the Polytechnic, Ibadan, one of the oldest technological institutions in the country, as well as no fewer than seven research institutes, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Apart from hosting the new dry port which is under construction, Ibadan is probably the only city in the whole of Nigeria where a new airport has been built several kilometres away from the old one, which was one of the oldest in the country.
All Nigerian telecommunications networks are represented in the city of Ibadan.
All these underscore the economic importance of the city, which is the regional headquarters of most of the nation’s 25 banks, which are all represented in the city.
A particular street in Ibadan (Iwo Road) has 18 banks, thus playing host to more banks than any other Nigerian street. The city, therefore, holds a place of pride among the nation’s major commercial and industrial centres.
The choice of Ibadan as the host of this all-important Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013 is apt.
The beauty of the city for tourists is that the hospitality sector offers a wide variety of choices at affordable rates, such that this 10-day event will not bite deep into the pockets of participants coming into the city for the purpose, according to Mr. Delight Owoyemi, CEO/managing director of Dequeue Software, the consultant to the trade fair.
Since the present administration came into power, the story of the security situation in Ibadan has changed for the better.
However, for the purpose of this event, the police will provide adequate on-the-spot surveillance immediately before and throughout the duration of the programme.
Oyo Mega Trade Fair 2013 will enjoy wide publicity on the electronic and print media, throughout its ten (10) day duration before and even after; thereby presenting a unique opportunity for Exhibitors to advertise their products, services, inventions and innovations to both Nigerian and Foreign audience.
The Fair will be well attended by numerous Government agencies seeking new ideas, inventions and innovations necessary for the attainment of the objectives for which they were set up.
The fair will provide opportunities for various trade groups and professionals to present new products and new ideas.
Also, our foreign visitors have the privilege of visiting places of interest in the country through our hospitality and tourism programmes.
Moreover, eminent dignitaries and decision makers from all over Nigeria visit the Fair on a daily basis throughout its duration.
The Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN) and the Association of Corporate Communication and Marketing Professionals in Banks (ACAMB) have enjoined banks to further deepen and prioritize financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and sustained growth through strategic mandates and frameworks, aimed at closing the financial gap and empowering more small, and medium enterprise (MSME) owners.
Both organisations made this call during a courtesy visit to the newly invested 24th President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Dr. Dele Alabi, Ph.D, FCIB, as part of plans to congratulate him on his investiture as well as seek a stronger alliance between both bodies.
The visit followed Alabi’s investiture where he unveiled his “IMPACT” Vision, themed “Consolidating Our Local Impact, Enhancing Our Global Relevance.”
The vision rests on six pillars: Inclusion across geographic, gender, and generational lines; Membership growth and quality; Professionalism and ethics; Accountability; Competencies and skills development; Technology, automation, and innovation. Other areas of shared interest, include women empowerment, financial inclusion and literacy, as well as MSME clinics, all of which are top on his agenda.
Alabi explained that under him, the institute will be prioritising financial inclusion and women empowerment, because of its realisation that women are often the primary financial managers and caregivers in families. Access to savings, micro-credit, and insurance acts as a safety net during crisis and allows them to significantly improve living conditions.
He added that CIBN would be happy to drive joint knowledge sharing and exchange sessions with CBN and ACAMB across various platforms. “Educating the public through public awareness programmes, with ACAMB as the rallying point, is central to what we do,” he noted.
ACAMB President, Jide Sipe, who led the delegation, spoke in unison with the CIBN president, as he noted that, closing the inbalances in financial access help economies grow faster, reduces inequality, and encourages greater civic participation by all.
Lagos State has become the first sub-national government in Nigeria to establish a comprehensive Greenhouse Gas Registry, a move aimed at strengthening climate governance, improving emissions accountability and accelerating the state’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The Lagos State Greenhouse Gas Registry (LGHGR) was unveiled at the Central Business District, Alausa, Ikeja, at a ceremony attended by Prof. Akin Abayomi, commissioner for Health, members of the State Executive Council, representatives of the Federal Ministry of Environment, development partners, TPHG Technologies, the diplomatic and business communities, academics, civil society organisations and the media.
Describing the initiative as a landmark achievement in the state’s environmental sustainability drive, Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, general manager of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), said the Registry marks a defining moment in Lagos’ climate action journey and reflects Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to building a resilient, climate-smart and environmentally sustainable economy.
According to Ajayi, the digital platform will enable the state to accurately measure, monitor, report and verify greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors, providing credible data to guide environmental policies and climate interventions.
He said the Registry would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, improve transparency and accountability, support national and international climate reporting obligations, unlock carbon market opportunities and boost investor confidence in Lagos’ environmental initiatives.
Ajayi also commended TPHG Technologies for providing the technical expertise that made the pioneering project possible.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Abayomi described the Registry as a major milestone that positions Lagos at the forefront of climate governance and emissions accountability in both Nigeria and Africa.
He noted that climate change has evolved into a significant public health and governance challenge, stressing that access to reliable emissions data would enable the state to formulate evidence-based policies, attract climate financing, strengthen resilience and accelerate its transition to a low-carbon economy.
Providing insights into the technical framework of the project, Dr. Mofoluso Fagbeja, lead consultant and chief executive officer, TPHG Technologies, explained that the Registry was developed from the greenhouse gas inventory jointly undertaken by LASEPA and TPHG Technologies in 2022, using 2019 as the baseline year for emissions assessment.
He said the platform is designed to close critical emissions data gaps, particularly within the industrial sector, while supporting effective climate policy implementation, emissions management and sustainable development.
Fagbeja also disclosed that the greenhouse gas inventory estimated that poor air quality contributes to about 35,000 premature deaths annually in Lagos, underscoring the urgent need for stronger emissions control measures and cleaner environmental practices.
In a goodwill message, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, minister of Environment, represented by Mrs. Adenaike Olunimpe Oludunni, federal controller of Environment in Lagos, commended Lagos State for pioneering the initiative, describing it as a significant contribution to Nigeria’s climate commitments.
He said the Registry aligns with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and supports the Federal Government’s Energy Transition Plan, while reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to deeper collaboration with Lagos State on climate governance and environmental sustainability.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
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