Fidelity Bank launches first-of-its-kind International Trade and Creative Fair in Houston

The world is coming to Houston, and it’s not for the Offshore Technology Conference!

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is usually one of the major conferences that shake up the city with a convention of international business gurus. The OTC comprises a series of conferences and exhibitions hyping technologies relevant to developing offshore energy resources, primarily oil, and natural gas.

However, come October 24-25, that record might be broken when Fidelity Bank Plc. Nigeria unveils its premier international trade and creative fair themed, Fidelity International Trade & Creative Connect (FITCC). This conference is expected to attract the brightest minds and industry leaders who would exchange ideas, create trade/business partnerships, and navigate the ever-evolving landscape of international trade, exports, and creative connections.

Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner (left), MD and CEO of the Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.  Photo by Texas International Guardian

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe said that the Bank is very much invested in supporting export trade. “We have consistently demonstrated this by the interventions and innovations that we bring to the space. Beyond the financing instrument, some of our key interventions revolve around business management capacity development and market access development initiatives like FITCC,” she said.

Fidelity Bank Plc. Nigeria is a popular international commercial banking entity with over 7.2 million customers serviced across 250 business offices and other digital banking networks.

Expected to attend this event are international and local business leaders, owners and representatives, influencers in the digital, creative, and social media sectors, community leaders, government officials, local elected officials, etc. The organizers said they would make available a comprehensive list of confirmed guests. The organizers will also reveal a long list of partnering entities which would include financial entities, governments, and academic institutions.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, is designated as a hub for international commerce, known as the energy capital of the world, and a global leader in healthcare, aeronautics, advanced manufacturing, and innovation. Besides having the largest Nigerian population in the country, the city remains the most diverse, with over 2.5 million residents. The city also holds the largest port in the U.S. in foreign tonnage, two international airports, and the largest medical center in the world. In addition, more than 5,000 Houston companies are engaged in international business, and approximately 1,000 Houston firms report foreign ownership.

Houston, the fourth largest city in the US, is designated as a hub for international commerce, known as the energy capital of the world.Photo by Kevin Hernandezon Unsplash

 

Houston’s Mayor, Sylvester Turner, who just led a three-country trade mission to West Africa, acknowledged the city’s readiness to host this event in a video message. He equally made a personal appeal to the public for collective support. To Mayor Turner, who will out-serve his tenure in a few months, this event would be his last endeavor to strengthen the City’s business ties with Africa.

FITCC conference will address the limitless market opportunities that exist between Nigeria and the US marketplace.Photo by Alex Kotliarskyion Unsplash

 

Among a long list of objectives, the FITCC conference will address the limitless market opportunities that exist between Nigeria and the US marketplace. For instance, Nigeria has the largest market in Africa with a population of over 200 million. According to the International Trade Administration, Nigeria is the second largest U.S. export destination in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2021, the two-way trade in goods between the United States and Nigeria totaled over $7 billion.

Panel sessions at the event will also explore further strategies to bring Nigeria’s creatives to the global markets. For example, Nigerian artists now play a significant role in modeling Africa’s cultural landscape. In culinary, the Nigerian jollof-rice is now a global brand. Notwithstanding, Hilda Effiong Bassey, AKA Hilda Baci, a young Nigerian chef now holds the current Guinness World Record for marathon cooking.

The ITCC which will take place at the George R. Brown (GRB) Convention Center in Houston, presents the opportunity to harness the shared synergy of the Nigerian and US creative/entertainment ecosystem players is poised to create a fertile structure for business development – but choosing to host this global event in Houston substantiates the reality.

GRB Convention Center is one of the 10 largest convention centers in America currently with more than 2 million square feet. This event will be the first Nigeria-facilitated conference to be held at this convention center.

♦ Culled from the Houston News Break (Author Anthony Obi Ogbo)