NEPZA Urges EU to Prioritise Value Addition in Nigeria

NEPZA Urges EU to Prioritise Value Addition in Nigeria

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has called on the European Union to prioritise value addition in Nigeria as a pathway to deepening economic cooperation, industrial growth and shared prosperity between both partners.

The appeal was made on Monday by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, during a trade and investment facilitation meeting held at the European House in Abuja.

The engagement, according to a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications of the Authority, Dr. Martins Odeh, focused on strengthening EU–Nigeria economic ties through Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

Ogunyemi said Nigeria’s Free Zones, operating under NEPZA’s strategic framework, offer practical platforms for integrating the country into European value chains at a time of shifting global economic alignments.

“It is a privilege to address this distinguished gathering at this critical moment in global economic history,” Ogunyemi said, noting that the discussion examined how Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones could enhance economic cooperation between Nigeria and the European Union amid ongoing structural changes in the global economy.

He observed that as the global order evolves from a predictable, rules-based system to one shaped by shifting alliances and economic pressures, the European Union increasingly needs diversified and resilient partnerships.

According to him, Nigeria’s SEZs are well positioned to support Europe’s strategy of reducing supply chain vulnerabilities while expanding industrial collaboration with Africa.

Ogunyemi explained that increased EU economic activity along Nigeria’s Special Economic Zone corridors would help reduce dependency concentration, safeguard critical supply chains and stimulate industrial and economic growth across Nigeria and the wider West African sub-region.

He noted that while the European Union remains Africa’s largest trading and investment partner, with trade in goods between both continents valued at nearly €355 billion in 2024 and trade in services exceeding €100 billion, the structure of that trade remains largely skewed towards Africa’s export of raw materials.

“Overreliance on primary commodities without meaningful value addition hinders industrial growth, limits human capital development, and threatens the long-term sustainability of supply chains between us and the EU,” Ogunyemi said, adding that targeted investment in Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones could help correct these imbalances.

The NEPZA boss stressed that a shift towards manufacturing, processing and industrial activities within Nigeria’s SEZs would create jobs, strengthen skills development and deliver long-term benefits to both Nigeria and its European partners.

He urged European governments, institutions and private sector investors to explore Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones as credible hubs for value-added production and regional market access.

The meeting was attended by ambassadors of European nations, heads of delegation of European Union member states, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service.