The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) and Future Africa have agreed to jointly deploy technology to spark up interests and participation in the country’s free trade zones scheme.
The two organisations had considered the possibility of triggering wider participation of the business community in the scheme when the country’s partner, Future Africa, Mr. Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, paid the managing director, NEPZA, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, a courtesy visit recently in Abuja.
This was contained in a press statement issued Wednesday by the Authority’s head of corporate communications, Martins Odeh.
Adesugba said technology remained the quickest accelerator of modern business, adding that the Authority was ready to partner with Future Africa and other such firms to use technology and innovation in running the country’s 42 free trade zones.
He said, “Nigeria stands out when we talk about innovation and technology in Africa, but we may have to engage in the training of our youth to redirect their psychic to exploit the systems more positively. The youth remain the technology talent hub that we can leverage on to create the wealth for our nation.
“We have a dream of being at the forefront of the industrialisation of Nigeria. The free trade zones are supposed to be the foreign countries in our country that relentless promote industrialisation through creation of wealth, free tax regime, seamless infrastructure and transportation system to drive the process.”
On his part, Aboyeji hailed Adesugba’s “open door policy,” noting that the NEPZA boss’ appointment only indicated how President Muhammadu Buhari was genuinely prepared to reposition the Authority and the country’s economy as a whole.
Aboyeji said the firm had selected Tinapa and Rendezvour located in Calabar and Alaro City free trade zone, Lekki, Lagos, respectively, to begin the first phase of its operation as the “company has the intent of making its presence felt in all the zones.”
