For Nigeria to compete and survive in the African Continental Free Trade Area, it must as a matter of national emergency ramp up industrialisation and manufacturing activities, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has said.
He said this could be effectively achieved through the free trade zones, adding that the country was faced with an enormous challenge ahead of the AfCFTA in the areas of manufacturing and industrialisation.
Gbabiamila said this while receiving the newly appointed Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, Adesoji Adesugba.
This was made public on Thursday in a statement entitled, “AFCFTA: House Speaker tasks Nigeria on industrialisation through free trade zones,” issued in Abuja by the Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, Martins Odeh.
The speaker was quoted as saying, “We must act proactively so that we don’t become a dumping ground for other African nations.
“Our best option in this circumstance is to immediately set machinery in motion to ensure the effective functioning and flourishing of our export processing zones.
“We must remove all bottlenecks and perfect all stumbling blocks. We will then be fully prepared for AfCFTA and also generate massive jobs for our unemployed youths and enhance our foreign earnings.”
