The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA) paid a strategic courtesy visit to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) as part of ongoing efforts to deepen engagement between the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria (OPSN) and key government institutions tasked with economic development.

The delegation was led by the National President of NACCIMA and Chairman of the OPSN, Engr. (Dr.) Jani Ibrahim, OON, mni., and was warmly received by the Managing Director/CEO of NEPZA, Barr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, along with senior management officials of the Authority.

Purpose of the Visit

The visit was anchored on the need to:

• Strengthen collaboration between NEPZA and NACCIMA/OPSN.
• Promote sustainable industrialization through the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) scheme.
• Enhance investment promotion and export development.
• Drive reforms that improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

Key Highlights from NACCIMA’s Remarks

In his remarks, Engr. (Dr.) Jani Ibrahim emphasized the vital role of NEPZA in advancing Nigeria’s industrial transformation agenda. He highlighted the following points:

• The FTZ model is central to driving industrialization, job creation, technology transfer, and non-oil export expansion.
• There is a critical need for:
  • Improved FTZ governance and transparency.
  • Investor confidence through policy consistency.
  • Harmonized regulatory oversight across relevant agencies.

NACCIMA reaffirmed its readiness to:

• Partner in attracting credible local and foreign investors to FTZs.
• Collaborate on policy reviews and sector-specific investor outreach.
• Advocate for infrastructural improvements and legal reforms in the FTZ ecosystem.
• Support capacity building for both FTZ regulators and operators.
• Promote the development of specialized industrial clusters—especially in agro-processing, digital economy, and export-oriented sectors.

Strategic Proposals by NACCIMA

To institutionalize the partnership, the NACCIMA President proposed the following:

• Creation of a NEPZA–NACCIMA Joint Technical Working Group to co-develop strategic action plans for FTZ development.
• Stakeholders Roundtable to assess investor experiences and recommend improvements for zone efficiency.
• Joint FTZ Investment Promotion Framework that leverages both public and private sector strengths.
• Collaboration on Export Readiness Training, especially around AfCFTA, ECOWAS, and WTO standards.
• MSME Integration in FTZ Value Chains, ensuring inclusion of local enterprises in global production networks.

Contributions by Other NACCIMA Delegates

• Dr. Billy Harry, NACCIMA National Vice President, underscored the importance of collaboration on the issuance of Certificates of Origin and the need for streamlined trade facilitation procedures.
• Ambassador Suleiman Audu, also of the delegation, called for enhanced stakeholder engagement, technical reviews of FTZ reports, and mechanisms to align policy intent with implementation.

NEPZA’s Response and Commitments

The Managing Director of NEPZA, Barr. Olufemi Ogunyemi appreciated NACCIMA’s initiative and acknowledged the following:

• The implementation of the AfCFTA agreement presents challenges, especially with tariffs and overlapping jurisdictions, but offers significant opportunity if regionally integrated.
• The need for regulatory harmonization among agencies like Customs, Immigration, and NEPZA was highlighted, citing recurring institutional conflicts that affect FTZ efficiency.
• He agreed to the formation of a joint working committee focused on investment promotion, investor care, and advocacy.
• Emphasized NEPZA’s openness to digital collaboration with NACCIMA through web-link integration and shared platforms.
• Expressed support for e-certification systems, public–private partnerships, and coordinated investor engagements.

Dr. Billy Harry gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the NACCIMA delegation, reaffirming the Association’s commitment to long-term collaboration with NEPZA and other government institutions to achieve shared national objectives.

Other members of the NEPZA Team include:
1. Mrs Haleema Sani-KAMBA, Director, Corporate Services.
2. Mrs. Jane Tapgun, Company- Secretary/Head Legal.
3. Mallam Muazu Ruma, Technical Assistant to the MD.
4. Mr. Olaseni Williams, Technical Assistant to the MD.
5. Mr. Kabir Folorunsho, Deputy Director MD Office.
6. Martins Odeh Ph.D., Head Corporate Communications.

Other members of the NACCIMA Delegation include:
1. Dr. Billy Harry, Chair, Downstream Petroleum Trade Group
2. Prof. Jonathan Aremu, Chair, Trade and Investment Trade Group
3. Amb. Suleiman Audu, Chair, Digital Economy Trade Group
4. Alhaji Farouk Suleiman, NACCIMA NVP
5. Alhaji Suleiman Abdullahi mni, Chair, AfCFTA Trade Group
6. Ms. Jean Andy-Orlu, Admin. Secretary, WCCIMA
7. Ms. Helen Anoh, Admin. Secretary to the NP
8. Ms. Ifeoma Ozue, Business Development Unit, NACCIMA
9. Mr. Saleh Yau, Protocol Officer, NACCIMA

This visit marks a renewed phase in the strategic relationship between NACCIMA and NEPZA, with both parties aligned on the need for structural reforms, investor-friendly policies, and collaborative programs that will position Nigeria’s FTZs as globally competitive industrial zones.

A technical committee set up for this will follow up on the next steps, including the establishment of the joint technical working group and organization of a stakeholder roundtable in the coming weeks.

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