For three months between June 14 and September 14, the Spanish government treated the world to one of the best organised trade fairs in modern history.
Tagged ‘‘Expo zaragoza 2008’’, the fair was attended by participants from 150 countries, including Nigeria. Organised on 25 hectares that hitherto were reclaimed farmlands from their original owners, it took the Spanish authorities three years to actualise the fair.
By June 14 when the exposition opened, the site had become a completely built-up city with modern facilities and structures that belied the original farmlands.
All structures at the fair ground were modelled to depict the theme of the expo, ‘‘Water and Sustainable Development’’.
Some of the pavilions, including ‘‘Pabellon De Aragon ‘‘, a large basket-like pavilion that offered audio-visual symphony, depicted the nature and heritage of the host region, Zaragoza.
Besides the structures and facilities put in place for the convenience of participants and visitors, there were also specialised bus and taxi routes to and from the expo venue.
Worthy of note is the fact that fair participants were accommodated in the Expo village , a well laid out block of flats built several kilometres from the venue.
Leisure was not left out by the organisers as there were daily musical shows to soothe the nerves of the audience.
Musicians from all parts of the world took part in the shows conducted in a large amphitheatre.
But what lessons are there for Nigeria to learn from Expo Zaragoza 2008?
First, Nigeria failed to meet the June 1 deadline for the payment of a mandatory 500,000 Euros expected from each participating country for space allocation and erection of pavilion. The result was that the space allocated to the nation was empty until six weeks after the start of the fair.
Giving reasons for the delay, Mrs Elizabeth Emuren, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, blamed it on the late release of funds.
She said that the Federal Ministry of Finance did not release the funds needed for early preparation of the pavilion.
According to her, the challenges of participating in the expo were enormous, including the lack of funds.
‘‘The Ministry of Finance did not release money on time, and when they did it was not all we asked for, which of course hampered the implementation of all what the committee set up by the government planned to do.
‘‘We have some of our agencies to thank for coming to our rescue for us to fully participate, which turned out to be a worthwhile venture for Nigeria,’’ she said. Emuren, who was the Chairperson of the National Planning Committee, said the whole space was filled daily with visitors when the pavilion was eventually opened. She said that Nigeria participation, in spite of the initial hiccups, had afforded the country the opportunity to showcase its rich culture and tourism potential. Beyond the issue of late release of funds, the nation also failed to obtain visas on time for its 500-man delegation. The consequence, an official said, was that many of the officials could not make the trip, while those who made it came a few days to the end of the event. The officials also attributed this to the late release of funds by the Finance Ministry.
Analysts say Nigeria ‘s late participation was an embarrassment to the country, especially when the officials ‘‘had to come a few days or at best two days to the end of the expo’.
Was the delay actually borne out of the strict Spanish visa laws or was it due to sheer lack of early preparation by the officials?
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain, Amb. Obed wadzani, put the blame at the doorsteps of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Although the Spanish visa requirements could be regarded as cumbersome, the ambassador said the ministry did not start the process on time, adding that Spanish embassy could not have relaxed its procedure just because of Nigeria.
‘‘After all, other people got visas to the event at the right time.
‘‘I cannot imagine starting visa request for about 300 people, which was later increased
to 500, two weeks to Nigeria’s major events, the Investment Forum and Nigerian Day. ‘‘We at the embassy in spain were constantly involved in the visa processing. We could stampede them to complete the visas since we did not start early,’’ he said. wadzani said Nigeria should draw lessons from such expositions by planning early either a host or participant.
‘It is incredible what the Spanish government was able to put on ground, and Nigeria can do it only if we plan ahead rather than wait until the last minute as we are used to doing,’’ he said.
But what are the overall benefits of the fair to the nation?
For Wadzani , the gains far outweigh the initial hiccups the nation experienced in its participation.
‘‘The benefit in our participating in the expo here in Zaragoza cannot be quantified as we hope that the countries we came in contact with will partner with us to invest in the sector and translate these resolutions into reality,’’ he said.
But for the Director of the FCT Cultural Troupe, Alhaji Garuba Dukku, the Zaragoza exposition was the worst the troupe had ever attended.
Dukku was particularly concerned about what he described as ‘‘the shoddy way the organisers went about taking participants there’’.
According to him, the organisers failed in the execution of the programme because of the lateness in processing visas for the participants.
‘‘It is what we exhibit to the outside world in this expo that will affect our image.
‘‘How can this pavilion be closed for over a month after the exhibition had opened officially?
‘‘This is the worst kind of exposition we have attended because our troupe has travelled
more than 15 times to various places in the world and we have never suffered so much, ‘‘he lamented.
Dukku advised that future application for visas should not be done centrally by the Ministry of Industry, but by each agency wishing to participate.
But officials said that the Nigerian Investment Forum and the Nigerian Day events were
successful as most government officials and business personalities in Spain were in attendance.
Commerce and Industry Minister Charles Uwuh used the opportunity to woo investors to the country.
“Nigeria is committed to improving the investment climate for it to become a leading destination for foreign direct investment,’’ he said.
For Ugwuh, the new enabling investment climate is predicated on macro-economic stability, export orientation and upgrading of infrastructure with the participation of private sector in the industrialisation process.
‘‘I am, therefore, using this forum to assure you of my government’s commitment to the rule of law, transparency and zero tolerance for corruption,’’ he said.
An exhibitor, Prince Dare David, of Africa N’Vogue, a garment maker, said his late arrival notwithstanding, he was able to meet a Chinese investor who showed interest in the mass production of his products.
‘‘The Chinese has taken some of the products to his country to seek if there are machines capable of mass producing the garments for export.
‘‘For me it is a worthwhile venture, but for the initial low level of visitors due to the high gate fee of 35 Euros. Everything turned out to be just fine,’’ he said.
The Director of the Nigerian Pavilion, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed, also lamented the late opening of the pavilion and arrival of exhibitors.
He said that the fair organisers had thought the Nigerian pavilion would no longer open due to the lateness.
‘‘This was almost an embarrassment to the country. While other countries started exhibiting for almost a month, Nigeria’s pavilion was still closed.
‘‘In fact, we had to work overnight, locking ourselves inside to do the interior decorations.
This was against the organisers’ directive that there should be no more work or noise after June 1; it was that bad,’’ he said.
Ahmed said some 20 exhibitors participated with products ranging from agricultural produce, textiles, garments, leather works, beads, artworks and some chemicals for leather treatment. Expo Zaragoza 2008 has come and gone, but analysts are calling for early preparation for future fairs to avoid situations that can embarrass the nation.
The days of ‘‘fire brigade approach’’ to participation in international events should be over as the nation strives to become one of the 20 top global economies by 2020, they say.
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