Delta woos entrepreneurs, investors with free trade zones, seaport operations

Shimite Love, Special Adviser on Trade and Export to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in Delta State, says the State Government is working with Koko and Kwale Free Trade Zones in the State for entrepreneurs to come in and do business.

Love also calls on investors and financially-stable individuals to help in the development of the zones to create more employment opportunities in the State, saying, ‘the same money used in buying more expensive cars by an individual could be invested in the building of warehouses in the zones.”

She added, “A developer, who has built hotel in Asaba and Warri, and looking for another place to build should consider building a factory in the free trade zones because it is still the same price.
That way, we would help build more employment opportunities and give people more access to financial freedom.”

According to her, there are business opportunities in every challenging situations, including the prevailing economic hardship in the Country, stressing the need for people to look beyond the current economic situation and see opportunities that abound everywhere.

Read also: Lagos Free Zone woos Nordic investors to Nigeria

Speaking to newsmen, Love said that designs for the residential areas within the FTZs had been completed for proper housing of investors, entrepreneurs and their employees, explaining that the operations of Koko Port would boost ease of doing business in the State.

“The heavy duty factories, the light factories, the warehouses, the recreation areas. All of these are business opportunities. Whether you want to have a Salon, factory, office complex for forwarding and trading agents, everything is business opportunities that everybody can build”, she said.

Love highlighted the benefits of registering with the FTZs and encouraged importers and exporters to register their companies with the zones as it covers the residency visa and work permit of expatriate that work in such companies among other things.

She noted that ships now move from Koko Port to other parts of Africa, South Africa, UK and other parts of the World; which she said, is an added advantage.

“So, we are saying that if you have agricultural products that may take a long time in other ports before they are cleared, rather than accumulating demurrage, you can come to Koko Port. We are ready to do business with you at lower costs,’ she said describing the free zone as an added advantage.

She explained that Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration is poised to develop the State’s economy through trade and export with the appropriate policy and strategic plan.