By Nik Ogbulie (in Cairo)
As the third Intra-African Trade Fair 2023 enters its 3rd day today, more new arrivals are still being recorded amidst increasing anxiety by participants whose goods are still being delayed due to logistic developments.There are strong indications that the exhibitor level will rise more within the weekend as more willing participants have been making efforts to participate in Africa”s biggest trade exhibition billed to attract more attention in enhancing intra-African trade.There are very strong indications that the iatf2023 will be a very huge success based on the number of new entrants in the events and the enthusiasm by serial participants since the last two events.Obi Ezeude, President/CEO of Beloxxi Biscuits from Nigeria who is attending the event for the first time said that the hunger to have indigenous African products across Afrcan countries has tremendously increased, prompting reactions that the development has justified the decision by the Afreximbank, African Union and other allied institutions to gradually develop this idea which has gathered a torsl of over 80 billion dollars for investment over the last six yearsNew deals which are billed to provide special funds for development are already signed, while more will be executed on daily basis until the last day of the eighth day event.MONEYReport witnessed such signing of MOUs by Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Afreximbank, at the event’s conference centre, where an army of admirers watched. As the event progresses, very interesting developments are unfolding, further indicating that the 2023 edition of iatf may upstage the previous editions even as the global economy still faces some investment shutdown.It is expected that the event would be hitting a peak by Monday, November 13 , as huge programmes have been slated for conclusion.With about five days left for the event to close, the stakes are still high that more deals would be put to paper.
