Over five hundred exhibitors, both local and foreign, have started competing for who should ‘own’ the Northern Regional Capital of Tamale, for the up-coming joint Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and Ghana Trade Fair Company International Trade Fair.
The 20th edition, billed to take place between February 26 and March 7, 2016, is the first to be held in Tamale since the establishment of Ghana Trade Fair, two decades ago. Exhibitors are from South Africa, Germany, Nigeria, Cape Verde and other countries across the globe.
The Fair, according to its organizers, will be different from the usual trade fairs, where products and services are displayed. The Tamale International Trade Fair will witness displays of agricultural products and culture from various ethnic groups within the SADA ecological zone.
Over 25,000 visitors are expected to troop to Tamale from within the SADA Zone. The Board Chairperson of the Ghana Trade Fair Company, Mrs. Hannah B. Amoateng, who stated this at the official launch of the fair in Tamale, gave an outlook on the areas the fair will be focusing on.
Speaking on the theme; “Two Decades of International Trade Fair in Ghana, Exploring Business Opportunities in The SADA Zone of Ghana,” Mrs. Amoateng said the infrastructural development in the SADA Zone is very encouraging due to the low cost of doing business in the north.
SADA CEO
The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is counting on its partnership with International Fair to help breach the gap between the north and the south.
According to the authority, it is time for the SADA zone to utilise the unique opportunity it has, compared to other regions. Speaking at the launch of the 20th International Trade Fair in Tamale, the Chief Executive Officer of SADA, Mr Charles Abugri said his outfit is delighted at the opportunity to host the Fair.
Explaining why the Fair should be held in Tamale, Mr. Abugri said the SADA ecological zone has viable valleys good for the cultivation of rice and a number of water bodies that if harnessed can provide jobs through irrigation farming activities.
The SADA zone, according to the CEO, has unparalleled agricultural opportunities, describing it as the frontier for the agricultural transformation of Ghana.
A member of SADA board from the Upper East Region, Naba Sigiri Bemong described the Fair as historic and commended the Ghana Trade Fair Company for bringing the Fair to Tamale. Naba Sigiri appealed to the business community from 26 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Northern Region to take advantage of the Fair to invest in the zone.
