Under Jime, NEPZA attracts N15bn FDIs

The Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Mr. Emmanuel Jime, said that the Authority has so far attracted N15bn Foreign Direct Investment into the country. The MD represented by the Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, Simon Imobo-Iswan spoke at the stakeholders conference of Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN).

He said the authority has so far licensed 38 free trade zones cut across the country out of which 15 are fully functional, while the rest are still under construction. While emphasizing on his achievement, Jime added that out of the 38 free zones, four were licensed in less than a year under his watch. He said “NEPZA has attracted over N80bn into the nation’s economy since inception and contributed over 60% of the entire Foreign Direct  Investment that Nigeria attracts. “Under my tenure, NEPZA has attracted N15bn FDI into the country, some of the licence free trade zones includes the Nigeria International Commerce City with a targeted job initiative put at one million, Centenary city which envisage to employ about 70,000 Nigerians upon completion.

” After 25 years of existence he said, the Federal Government is reviewing NEPZA’s mandate. The Managing Director, Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), Mrs Zaheera Baba-Ari in her good will message urged CICAN to inform the member public about NCX mandate. Baba-Ari who was represented by the Head of Corporate Communication, Chris Echikwu said the NCX warehouses and trading software are ready for those who are willing to buy and sell commodities.

He said NCX is a marketplace for trading in commodities, a virtual platform for commodity exchange, which are financial product and solid minerals and in time it would include services.  He said, “We hope that CICAN will continue to inform both consumers and marketers, that is the producers merchants, exporters and aggregators that they can come to the floors of the exchange with headquarters in Abuja and we have our port market located in Kano.

“We have our warehouses ready, we have our trading software being completed as we speak. On benefits to the participant, He said that NCX brings quality assurance and timely deliverance.” He said that issues that are brought up at the market place would find a quick audience and resolution by the government.