Managing director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Adesoji Adesugba, has commended the LADOL Free Zone for attracting agricultural processing and healthcare companies into the Zone.
Speaking during an official tour of the zone recently with the top management team, Adesugba also expressed support for LADOL especially for its recent expansion as well as partnerships with international companies such as Mammoet.
He stated that LADOL’s development of infrastructure and facilities for logistics, now being expanded to support a wide range of industries, is both strategic for the company and for Nigeria.
“More than 1 billion dollars is spent by Nigerians going abroad for medical tourism every year and that is an opportunity for us to attract very good investment in this sector and to get the hospital to come very close to us in Nigeria by using the Free Zone strategy. This is one area we would be very happy to work with LADOL in promoting. I am happy that you are thinking in the direction of attracting agriculture into the Free Zone,” he said.
He further explained that he assumed the leadership position of the agency at a time when COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging the world, necessitating a holistic strategy towards medical tourism.
In agriculture, Adesugba commended LADOL initiative in setting up more cold store facilities, which he suggested could also serve the fishing industry in Nigeria and create opportunity for private sector owing to the significant amount of fish Nigerians consume annually.
He reiterated the importance of maintaining a harmonious, seamless working relationship between NEPZA and its sister agencies in Free Zones, adding that such harmony will ensure that Free Zones can contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth and meet government objectives of encouraging industrialisation.
“Strengthening of the NEPZA Free Zone scheme will make Nigerian industries highly competitive, especially in the light of the recently signed Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement. Nigeria as country was committed to industrialisation and ensuring that finished goods are not dumped in the country. Therefore, industrial and logistics developments such as LADOL are critical to this,” he said.
Amy Jadesimi, managing director of LADOL, who noted that Adesugba was more than qualified to take NEPZA to the next level, expressed gratitude on behalf of the board, staff and management for the visit.
She assured that LADOL would continue the developments in the Free Zone in order to achieve the mission and vision of making Nigeria the industrial hub for Africa.
