Japan has announced its determination to strengthen trade relations with Nigeria after participating in the recent Lagos International Trade Fair.
Japan Foreign Trade Association Director and Marketing Director Otoshi Okushi, in a statement, expressed hope for better cooperation between the two countries, with Japan being the country of the future market.
Speaking at the fair’s closing, Oku praised its success, noting that attendance was lower than expected this year due to the economic climate in Nigeria.
“Yes, so we expect the economy to recover because it was an economically challenging situation that affected the participants’ numbers. But even in this situation, we just try to expect a stronger relationship between Japan and Nigeria,” he stated.
The business leader disclosed that despite the decrease in visitors, Japanese companies are still holding business meetings and reaching important agreements with Nigerian companies.
Assessing the potential for business participation, Oku expressed his belief that a better performance would be achieved in 2025, saying: “This year, given the economic difficulties, we believe there were fewer visitors than last year.” Only the audience improved then.
Okur also announced that Nigeria has confirmed its participation in the Japan Expo, which will be held in April 2025.
