The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has called on the American Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Africa–U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and other development partners to explore the significant opportunities in Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones.
The Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, made the appeal during his lecture titled “Free Zones and Industrial Competitiveness: Catalysing Investment Through Regulatory Innovation” on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Dr. Ogunyemi noted that the side event, themed “Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria: A New Era of Economic Opportunities,” provided a key platform to align policy measures with private-sector investment.
He explained that Nigeria’s Free Zones are not just parcels of land, but practical business hubs for industrial upgrading and platforms for credible, scalable regional investments.
“We are therefore asking U.S. investors and institutions to undertake site visits to Lagos Free Zone, Lekki Free Zone, Abuja Industrial Park Free Zone (AIPFZ), and other Nigerian zones to see infrastructure and anchor tenants in operation,” he said.
“We are seeking partnerships for anchor projects that would evolve into Small and Medium Enterprises’ factory shells, creating jobs and promoting local procurement content.”
“We also invite investors to participate in co-financing shared infrastructure that enables hundreds of tenant investments and to support the scaling up of production for exports,” Dr. Ogunyemi added.
He assured that NEPZA is committed to providing regulatory clarity, facilitating due diligence, and building structures that will ease the transition from investment dialogue to concrete commitments.
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Dr. Ogunyemi further highlighted that NEPZA has applied some of the world’s best practices to enhance the industrial competitiveness of Nigeria’s Free Zones.
“So far, the scheme has continually improved competitiveness through four linked mechanisms: world-class infrastructure, regulatory predictability, cluster effects, and market access for our operators and investors,” he said.
He reiterated that the Federal Government, through NEPZA, will continue to prioritise private capital investment in infrastructure across both Private and Public–Private Partnership (PPP) zones, noting that these have been key drivers of the scheme’s rapid transformation.
Dr. Ogunyemi also encouraged U.S. investors to view Nigeria’s large domestic market as a springboard for regional expansion and international exports.
