The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has commended management firm Zeberced on the rapid construction of its $300m (£231m) Free Trade Zone in Abuja, while condemning a recent security breach at the facility.
Speaking during a site inspection on Thursday, NEPZA Managing Director Olufemi Ogunyemi said the 250-hectare Abuja Industrial Park project in the Idu Layout would boost national manufacturing output, host over 170 factories, and create approximately 40,000 jobs.
However, Ogunyemi expressed strong disapproval over an 8 August incident in which local youths allegedly pulled down a section of the perimeter fence to create an unauthorized access route.
He described the encroachment as a violation of Section 13(1) of the NEPZA Act, which restricts entry into designated trade zones, warning that such acts threaten investor confidence and expose industrial assets to security risks.
The authority has notified Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and security agencies to secure the area. NEPZA plans to work with local authorities to assess damages, reinforce perimeter fencing, install additional surveillance technology, and deploy 24-hour patrols across the zone.
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