Lagos International Trade Fair for Developing Nigerian Market

November 2016

The Lagos International Trade Fair was held in Lagos, the business hub of Nigeria, over a 10-day period from November 4 to 13. The fair, encompassing a space of 40,000 square meters, was joined by exhibitors from countries such as China, Ghana and Egypt, as well as Nigeria. With a wide range of products including food, general merchandise, home electronics, automobiles, furniture and building materials, they engaged in lively business talks and spot sales. JETRO set up its large-scale Japan Pavilion in the fair with 24 Japanese companies (30 companies with the inclusion of sub-exhibitors), which attracted 33,600 visitors throughout the fair's run.

With the extensive growth of its population over the years, high hopes have been placed on Nigeria as the most promising market in Africa. While the economy has recently been adversely affected by lower oil prices, high quality products produced by Japanese companies participating in the fair drew a great deal of interest from visitors, and a number of deals are expected to be concluded in addition to the spot sales. The Japan Pavilion, praised by visitors ranging from key local figures to buyers and consumers, was awarded the “Overall Best Pavilion” prize for the third year in a row.

In order to support Japanese companies aiming to enter and expand sales in the Nigerian market, JETRO conducted group interviews with local consumers as part of a marketing survey. Based on questions prepared by the Japanese exhibitors beforehand, these interviews were implemented toward target demographics such as potential consumers and corporate customers. For example, a company in the food industry offered samples for tasting to see whether the products were acceptable to local consumers. In another example, an electronics company asked questions related to its function and size to understand what local consumers want. These results will be utilized to help companies aspiring to enter the market and expand sales.