The maiden edition of the Lagos Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Exclusive and Eko Round City Trade Fair has launched with an opening ceremony where exhibitors and entrepreneurs were encouraged to explore the various opportunities available to them in Lagos State and beyond.
The week-long fair, which runs from December 8 to 14, 2025, at the National Stadium Surulere, is a major initiative organised by the Lagos State Government, in collaboration with the Surulere Fiesta and the Eko Round City Trade Fair organising body, aimed at accelerating grassroots enterprise and fostering inclusive economic growth across the Lagos Division.
The Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investments, Mrs Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, said that the event stands as a strong expression of the spirit that drives Lagos State, which is the spirit of enterprise.
Ambrose-Medebem praised Lagos for remaining the economic centre of Nigeria with over twenty-two million residents and thousands of businesses that contribute to the national GDP.
She said, “The administration of Mr Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu continues to expand opportunities across every sector to support this growth. Through the T.H.E.M.E.S Plus Development Agenda, Lagos has deepened its support for commerce, transportation, technology, social services, and sustainable urban expansion. Each pillar of this agenda aligns with the needs of the business community. The government has focused on building a stronger enabling environment marked by improved security, infrastructure, ease of doing business, and targeted support for MSMEs and cooperatives.”
Ambrose-Medebem said that the Lagos State Government has, in the last few years, invested in strengthening the trade and investment climate through market development, industrial hubs, enterprise support programmes, and reforms that improve market access for small businesses.
“The MSME platform has been expanded through capacity building, grants, business clinics, digital market access programmes, and partnerships with banks and development finance institutions,” she explained.
Ambrose-Medebem further said that “Lagos has also supported cooperatives because they remain an important structure for financial inclusion and group enterprise across the state.”
According to her, the purpose of the fair is anchored on five important objectives, and they include creating an inclusive marketplace where artisans, petty traders, informal-sector actors, micro-businesses, and growing MSMEs can showcase their products and services; promoting capacity building and business growth through workshops, business clinics, mentorship, and entrepreneurship support sessions; fostering deeper networking and collaboration across the participating LGAs; and bridging the informal and formal sectors.
The fourth important objective, according to the commissioner, is providing a social and educational play area for children, ensuring that families can participate fully without worry, as well as strengthening grassroots economic activity, stimulating trade, generating jobs, and supporting the gradual formalisation of informal enterprises.
Aside from promoting local production and reducing dependence on imported goods by showcasing quality alternatives made in Nigeria, SMEs contribute directly to job creation, income growth, and economic resilience.
On his part, the Chairman of the Eko Round City Trade Fair, Ògbóni Fouad Oki, described the event as the start of “a new chapter, a chapter of empowerment, enterprise acceleration, and inclusive economic growth.”
Ogboni Oki said that the fair is strategically designed for the resilient MSME community, which he described as the “heartbeat of Nigeria’s economy”.
He urged participants to leverage the platform to its full potential by connecting with networks, financiers, and government agencies, exploring new markets and expanding customer bases, as well as learning, innovating, and evolving for the next level of prosperity.
According to Ògbóni Oki, the Eko Round City Trade Fair is more than just an event; it is an “emerging institution, a bridge between government and the grassroots; a catalyst for economic renewal.”
He said that the fair represents a collective resolve to unify diverse communities across the Lagos Central Senatorial District, including Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Eti-Osa, and Apapa, to strengthen value chains and promote inter-LGA collaboration.
Ogboni Oki then assured that the organisers are laying the foundation for what is projected to become the largest community-driven MSME trade fair in Lagos State, with an aim to grow in influence, reach, and impact annually.
The fair is a direct response to the commitment of the state leadership, especially Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, whose support for MSMEs is seen as a cornerstone of the “Greater Lagos Rising” vision. Ògbóni Oki made sure to acknowledge the “dependable partner”, the Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade & Investment, and his “brother and partner in progress”, Hon. Bamidele Sulaimon Yussuf, Executive Chairman of Surulere Local Government, for their crucial support in actualising the initiative.
Olusola Akintonde