The Single Country Exhibition under the Look Africa Policy of Ministry of Commerce was organized in Lagos, Nigeria from 24-25 November, 2021. The Expo was jointly inaugurated by Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, along with Federal Minister for Trade and Industry of Nigeria and Mr. Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce.
More than 100 Pakistani companies from Automotive, Engineering, Agro Food, Textile, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Kitchenware, Electrical, Surgical, Leather, Sports, and Information Technology/Services sectors put up stalls in the exhibition, which was organized by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan. Pakistan Software Export Board also participated, pitching in for Pakistan IT sector.
Buyers from Nigeria and ECOWAS member states of West Africa, particularly from Benin, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo attended the event and B2B meetings were organized. Twelve (12) Pakistani companies from Pharmaceutical, Automotive, Leather and Sports Sectors signed MoUs, ranging from US$ 250,000 to US$ 9 million, and it is expected that they will result in finalization of export orders worth millions of dollars in coming months. Pakistan Trade Missions based in Senegal, Sudan, Algeria and Kenya also brought business delegations.
More than 4000 businesspersons from Nigeria and ECOWAS region attended the event. Pakistani companies generated a lot of leads, and TDAP also facilitated their visit to local markets for more hands-on experience of the Nigerian market.
The Pakistani exhibitors appreciated the efforts of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and Pakistan High Commission in Nigeria for organizing the event and facilitation for their visas and logistics. Pakistani companies suggested that such single country exhibitions may be held after every 6 months in Africa to get more traction, to increase Pakistan’s exports, and to explore joint ventures with African companies.
The event strengthened the footprint of Pakistan’s exports into Africa and especially in West Africa. The exhibition helped Pakistani companies to fortify their presence and to create deeper inroads into the African market.
