To tighten all loose ends in the administration and management of the country’s Free Trade Zones (FTZs), relevant regulatory bodies have agreed to remodel the scheme’s processes and procedures for greater impact on the economy.
The agencies include Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority (OGFZA), the Nigeria Economic Zones Association (NEZA), and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS)
This agreement was reached when Prof. Adesoji Adesugba MD/CEO NEPZA, his counterpart in OGFZA, Tijjani Kaura and Toyin Elegbede, Executive-Secretary of NEZA, paid a working visit on the Acting Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, in Abuja.
A statement by NEPZA’s spokesperson, Martins Odeh, quoted Adesugba as describing Adeniyi’s appointment as a boost for the industry, while noting that the growth of the scheme was largely stunted due to years of uncooperative posture of the Customs’ top leadership.
Adesugba explained that it was incumbent on the Nigeria Customs Service to help the regulatory bodies drive the success of the free trade ecosystem by allowing seamless trade facilitation across the landscape.
He continued: “We are here to first felicitate with you on your appointment by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We are elated that this appointment came from within the Service, and we pray that this culture is sustained.
“Since my appointment in 2020 as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, this is the first time that Customs honoured our request for a courtesy visit. This evidenced how uncooperative the former leadership was toward the overall success of the scheme.
“We are all now in agreement that only a collaborative partnership among the key stakeholders can reposition the scheme to begin to have significant impact in the economy and for global competitiveness.”
Adesugba added that a Joint Committee comprising members from NEPZA, OGFZA, NEZA and NCS is urgently required to address all the teething challenges affecting the smooth operation of the scheme.
We are all now in agreement that only a collaborative partnership among the key stakeholders can reposition the scheme to begin to have a significant impact on the economy and for global competitiveness.
Kaura, on his part, said the regulatory bodies and all other stakeholders are willing to establish a more cohesive and collaborative partnership with the Customs, adding that such partnership has already been established between the two regulatory bodies and with all the FTZ investors through NEZA.
He agreed that the Joint Committee will be in the right position to deal with all the key issues that would be listed as the Terms of Reference (ToR).
“We want the Customs leadership to understand that the Free Trade Zone is a unique economic landscape guided by both the Act of Parliament and Global Rules and Regulations. Any country that seeks to adopt it must also be prepared to accept these rules.
The Acting Comptroller-General, expressed his delight on the visit, saying the FTZ scheme can be used to realistically drive the nation’s economy.
Adeniyi noted that the suggestion for the setting up of a Joint Committee to remodel the processes and procedures to manage the various administrative engagements among key stakeholders is a novelty, adding that all hands must be on deck to salvage the country’s ailing economy through the scheme.
“I must, however, state that we should also study and re-evaluate our various Acts to see those areas of conflicts and overlapping functions and to assiduously work toward amending them.
He noted that FTZ investors are confronted with a myriad of challenges that include intermittent disagreeable execution of duties by some Customs officers, adding that the incentives that are the main attraction to the Zones must be encouraged.
