The Rotary Club of Abuja Jabi Lakeside organised a one-day Business Expo in Abuja on Sunday to showcase the businesses and products of its members.
The event occurred at the Grand Cubana Hotel Hall. It was declared open by the District Governor of Rotary District 9127, Rotarian Mike Nwanoshiri, who the Assistant District Secretary, Rotarian Emeka Iroegbunam, represented.
The exhibition featured clothing materials, confectioneries, power inverters, security gadgets, food and beverages, insurance, jewelries, and fashion.
In his remarks before declaring the business expo open, the Assistant Governor of Rotary District 9127, Rotarian Iroegbunam, commended the Club, popularly known as the Lakers, for its innovativeness and zeal to ensure progress for its members‘ businesses while giving back to society.
He said, “I can see that we have an array of things, from beauty, fast-moving goods, aesthetics, electronics, travel, logistics to home food, environmentally safe electricity, and so on.
“I mean, such an array of merchandise and services here today, and I think we are so proud of what we are doing.
“Let me express my pride in being associated with the Lakers. This is so wonderful.
“All I want is for us to be able to do what is important. The exhibitors have come here today waiting for us to patronise them, and we need to do that.”
In his welcome remarks, the President of the Rotary Club of Abuja Jabi Lakeside, Rotarian Amobi Ogum, said the event was organised to showcase the businesses and services being rendered by its members as part of the club’s membership retention and new club development month.
Ogum said: “Part of what we want to achieve is to ensure that Rotary is not just about giving to the community, but we also want to showcase what our members do so people can patronise them. You can‘t give what you don‘t have.”
He said the success of the club’s maiden edition business expo would determine how often such events would be held.
He said: “We hope that by the time we are done with this, we will see whether it‘s something we can do once every month or once every quarter. But we must find a way of ensuring people sell their businesses, and that‘s why we are here.”
He said the exhibitors were 80% Rotarians and a few businesses “who want to identify with our causes and who decided to come and exhibit.”
He said the Club has put in place mechanisms to ensure that the products on display worth over N100 million were offered to members of the public at discounted rates as a way of giving back to society.
He said: “We are looking to ensure people get discounts for what they buy. If you get in, some properties are going for sale, and they‘ve offered as much as a 30 per cent discount. It‘s our way of giving back to society, the buying and selling of the public.”
He called on Nigerians to always ensure the happiness of those around them by doing whatever little they can to ameliorate their hardships.
“Always give back to the community. Whenever you think things are getting hard for you, there are many people you are better off than.
“So by sharing a meal, a drink, sharing whatever you can, always make sure the community around you are happy,” Ogum said.
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