HomenewsNewsStakeholders MeetingOGFZA, NEPZA, NEZA Pool Resources to Deepen Free Zones

OGFZA, NEPZA, NEZA Pool Resources to Deepen Free Zones

  • March 14, 2022
  • Posted by: Destiny Young
  • Category: Stakeholders Meeting
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Stakeholders gathered last week in Lagos to discuss how to make Nigeria’s Free Zone Scheme work better at a summit jointly sponsored by the Nigeria Economic Zones Association (NEZA), the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA) and the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

 The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, who declared the summit open, said the concern of government with the suboptimal performance of the scheme led to a ministerial audit in 2020, which examined the track records of free zone enterprises and their regulators since the inception of the scheme.

The Minister said the audit report, which was released in 2021, has been used to draw up the right course for the scheme that would soon be put into effect.

The Managing Director of OGFZA, Mr Umana Okon Umana, delivered a goodwill message to the summit which he described as a timely intervention that should help to produce a roadmap to successfully address the existential problems facing the scheme such as lack of infrastructure; interference by other agencies and institutions in the running of the scheme; lack of proper understanding and appreciation of the scheme by stakeholders; and lack of adequate legal framework to facilitate its operation.

Mr Umana said the challenges cited have undermined the Free Zone sector and blocked it from becoming the vehicle for economic transformation that it was designed to be.

The Managing Director of NEPZA, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba praised the spirit behind the joint hosting of the conference, and called for the same resolve to find solutions to all issues in the way of the success of the Free Zone Scheme. The summit was attended by the chairman of the interim board of NEZA, Chief Nabil Saleh; representatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, led by Deputy Comptroller General Ekekezie Chinwe; representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, led by Deputy Comptroller General Aliru Gisheri; leaders of Free Zone licencees, including Dangote Free Zone, Lagos Eko Support Free Zone, Notore Industrial City, Liberty Oil and Gas Free Zone, LADOL Free Zone, Snake Island Integrated Free Zone, and the management teams of federal agencies, including OGFZA, NEPZA, Federal Inland Revenue Service, and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Below are photographs from the Summit:

Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, declaring the summit open in Lagos
Dignitaries at the Stakeholders’ Summit: r-l, Nabil Saleh, Chairman of the Interim Board of NEZA; Prof. Adesoji Fasugba, MD NEPZA; Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister FMITI; Hon. Adamu Abdu Fanda, Chairman NEPZA Board; Mr Umana Okon Umana, MD OGFZA; Toyin Elegbede, ED NEZA
Group photograph of VIPs after the Summit. R-l: Hon Adamu Abdu Fanda, Chairman, NEPZA Board;  Toyin Elegbede, ED NEZA; Adekunle Ajayi, GM OGFZA; Olayinka Akande, MD Dangote Refinery; Innocent Uzoechi, Director NEPZA; Umana Okon Umana, MD OGFZA; Aliru Gisheri, DCG NIS; Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister FMITI; Ekekezie Chinwe, DCG NCS; Prof. Adesoji Fasugba, MD NEPZA; Nabil Saleh, Chairman, Interim Board of NEZA; Ashish Khemka, CFO Lagos Eko Support FZ; Benjamin Ubiri, Moderator at the Summit

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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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