The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has canvassed for the adoption of an “export business accelerator programme” to speedily integrate the country’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) scheme to ease the business environment.

NEPZA’s Managing Director, Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, disclosed this while delivering a keynote speech at the 2021 World Intellectual Property Day Symposium held virtually.

Adesugba also said a new SEZ model was being developed to allow the SMEs to undertake ancillary activities within the established zones. According to him, with more than 60 million Nigerians engaged in SMEs, the Federal Government would do well to consider the adoption of programmes similar to that of Kenya to boost growth for these smaller companies. He said: ‘’The management of NEPZA is canvassing the support and approval of Mr. President for definite and sustainable initiatives that can help in the growth and development of the national economy through robust participation of SMEs and in line with our plans to develop sartorial SEZs for different industries such as medical, agro-allied and textile sectors. We seek a strategic alliance with SMEDAN and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) to develop a joint SEZ programme for SMEs.”

He noted that “with the outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic and its grave economic consequences on the nations and individuals, there is no better time to seek for the emergence of geniuses and ideas that can help transform our common loss to sustainable gains in all field of human endeavors.”

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