The Lagos State Government has unveiled the first-ever Lagos Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Exclusive and Eko Round City Trade Fair, aimed at promoting inclusive economic growth and strengthening grassroots enterprise development. The week-long event is scheduled to be held from December 8 to 14, 2025, at the National Stadium in Surulere.
Speaking at a press briefing at Alausa, Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment, Folashade Bada Ambrose, said the fair reflects the state’s commitment to empowering small businesses and providing visibility to grassroots entrepreneurs who are often overlooked. She described the initiative as an inclusive marketplace designed to foster capacity building, business expansion, and inter-LGA collaboration.
The trade fair will feature participants from five key LGAs: Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Eti-Osa, and Apapa, and their respective LCDAs, including Apapa Iganmu, Eti-Osa East and West, Iru-Victoria Island, Ikoyi-Obalende, Lagos Island East and West, Yaba, Coker Aguda, and Itire Ikate. The “Round City” concept, Bada Ambrose explained, aims to connect Lagos’ diverse communities, blending the commercial energy of Lagos Island, the industrial character of Apapa, the dynamic pulse of Surulere, the bustling Lagos Mainland, and the growing business corridors of Eti-Osa.
Highlighting the importance of MSMEs to the state’s economy, the commissioner noted that Lagos contributes over 30 percent to Nigeria’s GDP, with the service sector, driven largely by trade, accounting for more than 90 percent of real GDP in 2024. “These facts speak clearly: when MSMEs thrive, Lagos thrives. And when Lagos thrives, Nigeria advances,” she said. The fair, she added, will celebrate enterprise, resilience, creativity, and community while providing informal and micro-enterprises with access to markets, knowledge, and partnerships, lifting thousands out of poverty in the process.
Bada Ambrose further explained that the event will create strong linkages between MSMEs and support agencies, potential investors, and public-private partners, ensuring full inclusion for artisans, market traders, and informal sector operators. A cross-LGA collaboration zone will enable entrepreneurs to exchange ideas and strengthen value chains. The fair will also support the creation of a comprehensive database of MSMEs and informal-sector actors across participating LGAs, enabling targeted government support.
Fair Coordinator Fuad Oki commended the Ministry for spearheading the initiative, noting that the event will attract artisans, food vendors, fashion designers, home décor producers, technology service providers, and other informal sector players. Surulere LGA Chairman Yusuf Suleiman, speaking on behalf of participating LGAs and LCDAs, thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his support, emphasising that the fair will enhance grassroots economic activities and create significant opportunities for MSMEs across Lagos State.
