By Rabiu Sanusi
GlitzFair has marked its 10th anniversary with a renewed commitment to expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs and strengthening the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) ecosystem across Northern Nigeria.
Speaking during the Press Briefing with Journalists in Kano on the occasion, the Co-Founder of GlitzFair Ahmad Adamu said the platform was established a decade ago to provide entrepreneurs with the right platform, visibility, connections and access to opportunities needed to grow their businesses.
According to him, the 10-year journey has seen GlitzFair evolve into an important platform for businesses, entrepreneurs and customers, creating opportunities for networking, product promotion, market access and business growth.
Adamu disclosed that GlitzFair had, over the last decade, organised 17 fairs across Kano and Abuja, providing entrepreneurs with opportunities to showcase their products, meet customers, build networks and expand their businesses.
He said the impact of the initiative went beyond the number of fairs organised, revealing that more than 20,000 SMEs had benefited from business opportunities created through the GlitzFair platform.
He explained that the businesses involved cut across various sectors, including fashion and beauty, food, technology, Agriculture, lifestyle, manufacturing and services, among others.
The Co-Founder further disclosed that GlitzFair had recorded more than ₦5 billion in transaction value over the past 10 years, describing the figure as an indication of the economic activities generated around small and growing businesses.
According to him, the transactions represent customers discovering businesses, entrepreneurs making sales, businesses acquiring new customers, partnerships being established and products moving from shelves into people’s homes.
Adamu also said GlitzFair had created wider visibility for participating businesses through physical events, media coverage, social media platforms, content, partnerships and online conversations, reaching more than 107 million people globally.
He said the achievements demonstrated the role platforms such as GlitzFair could play in strengthening the SME ecosystem in Northern Nigeria, particularly by connecting businesses with markets, customers and new opportunities.
Looking ahead, Adamu said the ambition for the next decade was bigger than simply organising more fairs, revealing plans to reach more cities and introduce new initiatives, including a Business Clinic for women-led businesses an institutionalised Business Summit, and the launch of the GlitzFair Real Estate Fair, among other programmes.
He expressed appreciation to vendors, entrepreneurs, customers, visitors, sponsors, corporate partners, media organisations and the GlitzFair team for their contributions to the platform’s 10-year journey, stressing that the milestone would not have been possible without their support, sacrifices and commitment.
Adamu said the anniversary therefore represented not only a celebration of the past decade, but also the beginning of a much bigger chapter for GlitzFair and the entrepreneurs it serves.
