The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has commended Zeberced, the management company of the Abuja Industrial Park, for accelerating the construction of the $300 million Free Trade Zone project.
NEPZA Managing Director, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, gave the commendation during a routine inspection of the project site in Abuja on Thursday.
Ogunyemi said the pace of construction had justified President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to license the Abuja Industrial Park as a Free Trade Zone, adding that the investment would boost Nigeria’s manufacturing and export capacity.
Located in Idu Industrial Layout Phase IV, the 250-hectare park is expected to accommodate more than 170 factories and create about 40,000 jobs, while opening the Federal Capital Territory to increased industrial activity.
The NEPZA chief urged host communities to protect the project, stressing that a secure environment was essential to attracting and retaining investments of such magnitude.
His comments followed an incident on August 8, when some Jiwa youths allegedly invaded the zone and pulled down part of the perimeter fence to create an unauthorised access road.
Ogunyemi described the incident as unacceptable and a threat to investor confidence in Nigeria’s Free Trade Zones. He said NEPZA would not tolerate encroachment, destruction or theft within the zone, citing Section 13(1) of the NEPZA Act.
He stressed that no person could enter, remain in or reside in a free trade zone without prior permission from the Authority, warning that breaches of security could disrupt industrial activities and expose investments to vandalism, theft and trespass.
According to him, NEPZA has notified FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and the FCT Commissioner of Police and requested the deployment of federal security infrastructure to address emerging threats.
The Authority also plans to meet with Wike and the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, over the road network around the industrial park. A joint investigation involving the Nigeria Police Force and the FCT will also be conducted to identify those responsible for the breach and determine whether there were internal lapses.
Other measures include supporting the affected company with loss assessment and business recovery, reinforcing the perimeter fence, installing additional CCTV cameras and floodlights, and maintaining 24 hour internal and external patrols across the zone.
Ogunyemi assured existing and prospective investors that NEPZA remained committed to protecting personnel and assets and making Nigeria’s Free Trade Zones a destination of choice for global investment.
