The Honourable Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Plateau State, Hon. Musa Ashoms, has described the ongoing 11th Jos National Trade Fair 2026 as unique and a gateway to shared prosperity for Plateau people.
Speaking in an interview with journalists at the Jos Polo Field, venue of the Trade Fair, Hon. Ashoms called on Plateau citizens to take advantage of the fair to shop for the season and expand their business horizons.
The Trade Fair, which is themed *“Harnessing Agricultural and Livestock Value Chains for Food Security, Job Creation and Shared Prosperity,”* was initially scheduled to end on 31st October, but has now been extended by two days.
His words: “We are at the Jos Polo Field, venue for the 11th Jos National Trade Fair, which was supposed to end on the 31st. But because of the love our people have for commerce, industry, agriculture and livestock, which our theme is centered around, we have decided to extend it by two days so that our people will enjoy the benefits of this Trade Fair.”
“We want to call on our people to come out here in their numbers, in their droves, to benefit from this arrangement. This is a yearly event, but due to certain logistics, we skipped some years without holding it. Now that we are here, we are using this medium to call on Plateau people to come and enjoy this shared prosperity, because the land is green and the time is now. We should not allow this kind of opportunity to pass us by.”
Hon. Ashoms said on behalf of Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, the Plateau State Chamber of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (PLACCIMA) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Plateau is ready for business.
“Plateau people should come and expand their business horizon and expose themselves to new business opportunities and see how they can key into the opportunities available here. Government, in its benevolence, has increased the number of days because of the glitches we encountered,” he said.
“We want to thank the general public and our exhibitors who have come from all over Nigeria to be part of this Trade Fair. Trade Fairs used to make the city agog, and we don’t want this one to be an exception. We want people to come out and experience what we are experiencing here.”
On innovations at this year’s fair, the Commissioner said visitors will be exposed to new innovations and opportunities, especially around agriculture and livestock.
“When people go around, they will see new things. The world is evolving, things are not static. A lot of new innovations. I wouldn’t want to market for the exhibitors, but when people come here, they will see for themselves. It is centered around agriculture and livestock, how we can share prosperity and the opportunities therein,” he said.
“For example, government is opening an ultra-modern abattoir at Heipang, where livestock will be harnessed, where you will see that the ecosystem within that sector is opening new vistas and opportunities for our people.”
He commended PLACCIMA, the Plateau State Government, exhibitors and the media for their support, adding that Plateau is open for business.
“Plateau is open to business, Plateau is business-minded. There is a Governor that is ready to help Plateau businesses boom. We have no choice than to key into this project. At the end of the day, we will say we came, our lives are better, and we will enjoy the benefits. That is the spine of this administration. The time is now,” he added.
Responding to concerns about insecurity, Hon. Ashoms assured exhibitors and visitors that Plateau is safe for business.
“The chief security officer of this Trade Fair is the security consciousness of this government. We place a lot of premium on the lives of our people. Plateau is safe. Just like any other place in the country and abroad, you have challenges. Not long ago, the Riyadh airport was attacked. In Ukraine and Russia, there are issues, but people don’t avoid going to those places, especially when they have business to do there,” he said.
“There has never been a time that the 17 local governments of Plateau were on fire. This is the city center, where people have intellectual discourse and business interests, and when they come, nobody disrupts their peace. So the narrative is wrong. It is coming from naysayers, from people who do not want Plateau to progress. But they have no choice. We have a new sheriff in town. If you check lately, you do not hear issues of killings from left, right and centre. It has doused down to a large extent and we are hoping that momentum will be sustained.”
He thanked security agencies for maintaining peace and noted that even the APC presidential campaign has chosen Plateau as one of its campaign destinations, which shows confidence in the security situation of the state.
“We are not relenting. As a government, we are putting in efforts to make sure Plateau stays safe,” he concluded.
Peter Akpah is an investigative journalist/Blogger a public affairs commentator, social media influencer, content creator and a chess player., studied journalism at MANCAT, Digital journalism with Router, attend many capacity building training on journalism and blogging.
By SN24.com 
