FDI: OGFZA gets 35,000 hectares from Bayelsa for free zone projects

FDI: OGFZA gets 35,000 hectares from Bayelsa for free zone projects

 

 

 

Efforts by the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) to fulfill its core mandate and play a key role in the Federal Government drive for foreign direct investments (FDI) received a major boost last week when the Bayelsa State Government announced that it has handed over to OGFZA state lands measuring 35,000 hectares for the development of the Brass Oil and Gas City. Land for the siting of factories and offices is a key attraction to FDI in the free zones.

 

 

The surveyor-general of the state, Surv. Gede Moses, said a portion of the 35,000-hectare land has been surveyed and is ready for deployment.

 

Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson declared that OGFZA was free to deploy those land resources the way it deems fit to accelerate the development of free zones in the state. Dickson was responding to a request for support from the managing director of OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon Umana, who was in government house, Yenegoa to pay a courtesy call on the state governor.

 

Speaking during the visit, Umana had asked Governor Dickson to support “OGFZA to execute its mandate of attracting investments to the free zones with allocation of land to the Authority, backed with a certificate of occupancy” as a way of giving the investment agency “the capacity to effectively partner with investors.”

 

Umana praised the Bayelsa State Government for its enduring support to OGFZA over the years and described the relationship between the state and the agency as that of “natural partners in the development of the (South-South) region and our dear country in general.” He also commended the governor’s commitment to the development of Bayelsa state.

 

 

He said the Brass Oil and Gas City, to which $3.5 billion has been committed, was a major effort to improve the quality of lives of Nigerians and accelerate development of the South-South region. Noting that the world has come to realize the place of free zones as engines of growth and development that have generated more than 42 million jobs in about 4,000 free zones globally, Umana called for “the abiding support of the Bayelsa State Government for OGFZA in its mandate as free zones regulator to inspire and sustain continuing confidence of the investment community.”

 

Governor Dickson pledged his administration’s support for the projects but expressed concern that important aspects of the projects such as access road to Brass Oil and Gas City was beyond the capacity of the state government and needed federal intervention.

 

 

He congratulated Umana on his “well-deserved appointment” and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for “making the right choice for the job of chief executive of OGFZA,” describing Umana’s visit to government house, Yenegoa as “highly symbolic because Bayelsa is the cradle of the oil and gas economy in Nigeria.”

 

 

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Author: Destiny Young
Destiny Young (He/Him) is a distinguished IT professional with over 17 years of industry expertise. His impressive academic portfolio includes an HND and BSc (Hons) in Computer Science, a Master of Technology in Information Technology from the University of South Africa (UNISA), an MBA with distinction and a first-class MSc in Digital Transformation from Nexford University, Washington, DC. He currently an MSc student at the Department of Computer Science and IT, Paul University, Awka, Anambra State, specialising in Cybersecurity and also pursuing doctoral degree in Business Administration (DBA) with a specialisation in Technology Management at ANAN University Business School. A Chartered IT Practitioner, Manager, and Administrator, Destiny's focus lies in Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation. His professional affiliations include membership in the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Nigeria Computer and British Societies, Chartered Institute of Administration of Nigeria (CIA), and Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Information Management (IIM). Destiny's unique blend of academic excellence and practical experience positions him as a leading voice in the ever-evolving landscape of information technology and cybersecurity.

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