Hussaini Ibrahim 
KANO, Nigeria – Nigeria’s free trade zones generated more than N18.8bn between January and October 2025, signalling renewed investor confidence and improved operational performance, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has announced.
Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, disclosed the figures on Thursday at the close of the 2025 Kano Free Trade Zone Investors and Stakeholders’ Forum, themed “Strengthening Partnerships for Efficient Service Delivery in the Free Trade Zone.”
He said the scheme, created to diversify the economy beyond oil, had become a driver of non-oil manufacturing and export-oriented production, offering streamlined processes that attract investors.
Ogunyemi cited strong collaboration with regulatory agencies — including Customs, Immigration, SON and NAFDAC — and highlighted the One-Stop Shop model as a key facilitator of efficient operations.
Of the N18.8bn generated, N1.8bn accrued directly to the Federal Government, while the Nigeria Customs Service realised more than N17bn, compared to about N2bn in 2024 — a sharp rise the NEPZA chief attributed to stronger investor trust and improved coordination.
He reaffirmed NEPZA’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure, strengthening policy reforms, and advancing the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Declaring the forum closed, Ogunyemi urged stakeholders to align operations with global standards to deepen the competitiveness of Nigeria’s free zones.
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Oluwafunbi Bello 
Oluwatobi Adu 
Koko Maxwella 