Kano Free Trade Zone Generated Over N18bn In 10 Months — Authority

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) states that the Kano Free Trade Zone has generated over N18 billion in revenue between January and October 2025, surpassing the total revenue of 2024.

NEPZA’s Managing Director, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, represented by the Head of the Kano Free Trade Zone, Richard Bassey, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Kano Free Trade Zone Investors’ Forum themed “Strengthening Partnership for Efficient Service Delivery in the Free Trade Zone.”

He revealed that the trade zone generated N1.8 billion in revenue, surpassing the N1.3 billion recorded in the previous year. At the same time, the Nigeria Customs Service also recorded a sharp rise in revenue from the zone, moving from N2 billion in the corresponding period last year to N17 billion so far in 2025, reflecting what he described as a significant surge in economic activities.

Bassey said the federal government established the Special Economic Zone scheme to shift the nation’s economic focus from crude oil to non-oil manufacturing and export activities.

He noted that the scheme has continued to attract high-value investors whose dollar-denominated investments have risen significantly.

According to him, efficient service delivery in the zone is anchored on strong collaboration with key regulatory agencies, including Customs, Immigration, SON, NAFDAC and NESREA.

“The volume of investment within the zone continues to rise, and these earnings demonstrate improved production capacity and more efficient operations. The achievements reaffirm the zone’s potential as a major driver of non-oil industrialisation and export-led growth,” he stated.

He explained that agencies such as NAFDAC now engage investors from land allocation to the construction stage to prevent regulatory breaches and ensure the smooth commencement of production.

Bassey urged potential investors to take advantage of the zone’s stability, coordinated services and investor-friendly environment, maintaining that, “The Free Zone is the place to be — where investment dreams become reality,” he said.

In his presentation, the Kano State Coordinator of NAFDAC, Kasim Ibrahim, emphasised the importance of strict adherence to quality and safety standards within free zones. He warned that substandard exports could undermine Nigeria’s global regulatory rating, including its current WHO Maturity Level 3 status, as assessed by NAFDAC.

Ibrahim called for stronger compliance, improved good manufacturing practices and enhanced surveillance, noting efforts to enable unannounced inspections within the zone to ensure product integrity.