In alignment with its ethos of engendering talent diversification, promoting creativity and enabling growth for the Small and Medium Enterprise sector in Nigeria, Leadway, the foremost financial services provider, will be sponsoring the fifth edition of the Lagos Leather Fair 2022, the biggest event dedicated to promoting leather in West Africa.
The Lagos Leather Fair 5 (LLF5), which will hold at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos, from June 11 to 12, 2022, will feature fashion experts, manufacturers, designers, leather enthusiasts, creatives, and leading leather industry experts in Nigeria and Africa.
Speaking ahead of the Fair, Group Chief Marketing Officer, Leadway Holdings, Mr. Olusakin Labeodan, stated that the creative industry, especially the fashion space, has been gaining relevance, unleashing creativity and enabling budding young enterprises to build brands and a sustainable economic future for themselves. Their global impact has made it shared responsibility for critical stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, to participate in sustaining this evolution.
“Over the years, we have seen phenomenal growth in the creative space as more creative minds and enterprises showcase their innovative works beyond the shores of Africa, thereby placing a premium on our collective innovativeness and elevating our capacity for value creation. Therefore, it is a shared responsibility for individuals and corporates alike to facilitate and encourage platforms primed for showcasing talents and expanding their know-how and reach, hence our decision to support the Lagos Leather Fair.
“According to the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Nigeria has over 37 million micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME), accounting for more than 84 per cent of total jobs creation in the country, 48.5 per cent of the gross domestic product, GDP, as well as about 7.27 percent of goods and services exported out of the country. This remarkable data demonstrates the MSMEs’ superior contribution to our economic development and why they need support. The Leather industry is consistently propelled by the energies and creativities of the MSMEs, and we are pleased to be a part of this journey as active supporters”.
Commenting on the Sponsorship, Founder, Lagos Leather Fair, Femi Olayebi, said, “We’re excited to be back for our fifth edition, and in partnership with proud sponsors and forward-leaning corporates like Leadway, to continue to create massive visibility for both starting and established designers. It has also provided empowerment opportunities for leathercraft trainers and manufacturers. Our vision is to ensure that the leather sector contributes significantly to the Nigerian economy and the broader African narrative, by driving change in the sector and addressing key industry challenges affecting the supply chain.”
The Fair will also feature conversations and masterclasses targeted at helping small businesses grow and create value on a much larger scale. Speaking at one of the session topics; The Journey Ahead for Intra-African Trade – Spotlight on Creatives and the AfCFTA, are Akinyemi Alebiosu, Regional Strategy Coordinator, Leadway Assurance; Ose Imoukhuede, Executive Chairman, Ancestral House Eastern Africa Limited; Babi Subair, Founder/CEO, FHG Consulting Limited; Nwiabu Legborsi, Advisor, Trade Policy and Business Environment, NICOP among others.
