Emmanuel Daudu
The National Assembly (NASS) and the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) have called on Free Trade Zone (FTZ) operators and enterprises to adopt a more impactful and measurable approach to community regeneration, ensuring sustainable development for their host communities.
This position was reaffirmed during a two-day oversight visit by the Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, led by its Chairman, Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar, to inspect the operations of FTZs along the Lekki axis in Lagos State.
The visit, which took place on Monday, was accompanied by the Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi.
Speaking during the visit, Senator Umar emphasized the Federal Government’s concern over the current state of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives undertaken by FTZ operators.
He stressed the need for these operators to move beyond ad hoc interventions and adopt a structured, data-driven approach that guarantees measurable impact on host communities.
“We commend the contributions of the FTZ scheme to the Nigerian economy,” Senator Umar said.
“The Lekki Quadrant is undeniably an economic gateway for our nation. However, it is imperative that host communities also benefit directly from the prosperity generated in their environment. We need true data on interventions, progressive reports on the well-being of beneficiaries, and evidence of the impact these actions have had on the people.”
The senator further urged operators to take care deliberate steps to regenerate the Lekki area to prevent economic inequalities that could lead to social unrest
Echoing the senator’s sentiments, Dr. Ogunyemi underscored the importance of prioritizing community regeneration within the FTZ ecosystem.
He called on operators to embrace the Community Social Regeneration Concept, which NEPZA has been promoting in the past year to close developmental gaps and foster mutual respect between FTZ enterprises and their host communities.
“We must give credit to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose vision has transformed this area into a hub of economic emancipation,” Dr. Ogunyemi stated.
“The regeneration of host communities is critical for sustainable development and for avoiding the pitfalls of economic disparity, often described as the ‘tale of two cities.’”
Dr. Ogunyemi also highlighted the obligation of operators to address the well-being of their host communities to mitigate potential conflicts and encroachment on FTZ activities.
The oversight visit included tours of major FTZ facilities in the Lekki axis, such as the Lekki Free Zone (LFZ), Dangote Free Zone Enterprise (home to the Dangote Refinery), Lagos Free Zone, Lekki Deep Seaport, and several other enterprises operating within the zones.
These facilities are pivotal to Nigeria’s economic growth, and the push for a comprehensive community regeneration strategy is seen as a step toward fostering inclusivity and sustainability within the FTZ ecosystem.
The collaboration between NASS and NEPZA signals a strong commitment to ensuring that the benefits of FTZ operations extend beyond economic gains to include tangible improvements in the lives of host community members.
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