Nigeria@ 60: NEPZA Boss Promises To Use FTZs, SEZs To Rejuvenate Nation’s Economy
The Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) Prof. Adesoji Adesugba said the Authority was poised to use the Free Trade Zones and Special Economic Zones to contribute its quota to rejuvenate the country’s economy.
Adesugba made the remark on Wednesday in Abuja as his Independence message to re-assure the public of NEPZA’s commitment to galvanise investments for the country’s economic growth post Covid-19 pandemic.
The NEPZA Chief Executive said the country 60th Independence Anniversary signified the age of rejuvenation, adding that the Authority under his supervision was working assiduously to achieve its mandate of driving the country’s industrilaisation process.
He said NEPZA was fully aware of President Muhammadu Buhari commitment toward expeditious economic recovery, noting that the Authority was been repositioned to actualize this goal.
“First, we are poised to reduce or totally halt the huge capital flight that usually accompanies medical tourism. As can be seen, the Covid-19 pandemic has led to the momentary shutting down of international borders.
“We are immediately leveraging on this to establish Medical and Pharmaceutical Special Economic Zones. This would be done in conjunction the Federal Ministry of Health, the World Bank Group and other relevant stakeholders in the health sector’’, he said.
The NEPZA boss further explained that when fully developed, world class hospitals and pharmaceutical production companies would gravitate toward the country to dispense quality healthcare services for the people.
“We are sincerely interested in using the special economic zones model for many other specialised fields, but the medical sector remains our pilot scheme for now. NEPZA is more than ever committed to drive the country’s growth in all fronts even as we enter another threshold of our nation’s life’’, Adesugba said.
