About 34 Students of Mechanical Engineering, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State, Nigeria visited NATA News Booth D34 on the Third Day of the 3 Days West Africa Automotive Show.
NATA News Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Samuel Oloyede Oriowo introduced Mr. Ken Baber, Marketing Manager of West Africa Automotive Show to the enthusiastic students and he addressed them on behalf of his Organisation; BtoB Events Limited; organizers of the Show.
Ken Baber: The whole idea about the Exhibition was to bring companies, international companies, and also local companies under the same roof. What we want to do is to make Nigeria the power hub of the automotive sector.
We want to bring everyone under one roof in Nigeria. We want to show everyone around the world how important Nigeria is to the automotive trade.
We want Nigeria to be the power hub of the Automotive Sector across the world.
Question from one of the Students: As Nigerians, can we invite you to our end to give us training or organize on business; are we welcome?
Ken Baber: Next Year, we will hold a seminar in a conference area which will be more educational, which will be inspiring.
So next year this event will be twice the size. We will have a conference in seminar area and this will give people the education and the training that require, come 2020 in October 13, 14 and 15th.
President, Mechanical Engineering Students of Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun State: Why is it that major automobile companies like Peugeot, Toyota and others are not here?
Ken Baber: This exhibition was a spare parts exhibition and then what we found (out) was that it started to expand to automobiles and so on.
A lot of companies said to us that when events like this are organised in Africa, they are not great. I am being honest and they want you to see this exhibition they did not want this exhibition to be an exhibition where it is not just automotive, it is other areas as well.
What we said to the companies was this is an automotive exhibition and you know we are (just starting); we will do a great job. Now that they have seen that it is a very professional exhibition so next year when we expand, we will have all these companies supporting us for the next one.
Question: My name is P. K; on the part of education, we need more awareness
Ken Baber: In terms of marketing, we have done a fantastic job, so we will take that on board and we have the conference and seminar area as I said it would be more of educational experience. So we will promote this to more of Universities and schools. We would be very happy to do that.
Question: My name is Atoyebi Abiodun, what do we stand to benefit as students from the exhibition?
Ken Baber: Students are the future of one’s country and you as students (are) the future of Nigeria. If you want it to be part of the automotive sector in the future, then an exhibition like this gives you the highest of what the automotive sector is (all) about in Nigeria and all across the world. It gives you educational benefit of what’s happening in the industry and you meet professionals who are very well experienced