The Managing Director of Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), Mr Emmanuel Jime, has promised to make a significant difference in ensuring that Free Trade Zones (FTZs) work optimally.
Jime made the promise in a statement by the Head, Corporate Communication, Mr Simon Imobo-Tswam recently in Abuja.
Jime congratulated Nigerians on the 2017 Democracy Day as the country celebrated 17 unbroken years of civilian rule.
“Nigeria is gradually coming of age as a vibrant democracy.
“For us at NEPZA, we are determined to make a difference not just symbolically but significantly.
“We want to make our Free Trade Zones (FTZs) work optimally. We want them to compare or rival those of China, Singapore, United Arab Emirates.
“If the FTZ concept has birthed the Asian Tigers, we envision Nigeria becoming an African Lion in no distant future and this via the instrumentality of a rebranded and repositioned NEPZA,” Jime said.
Jime urged Nigerians in public service to see themselves as stewards of public trust and midwives of a genuine change.
He said that the challenge before Nigerians today was to decide whether the country wanted genuine change or symbolic change.
Jime said that Nigerians had to decide whether to become a dominant lion or a crawling giant.
He said that Nigerians woulf have to decide whether they wanted to keep democracy at the level of slogans or whether to rally behind the visionary Buhari Presidency to make Nigeria the country of their dreams.
“In a country where democracy has suffered many setbacks, it is incumbent upon all Nigerians to find ways of deepening the roots of democracy and making it more answerable to the yearnings of the people.
” Today, from all walks and stations of life, we are celebrating Democracy Day but beyond the celebration we can also see May 29 as a day of sober reflections and introspection.
“It is my belief that God does not bless us for nothing, if our generation has been favoured with 17 consecutive years of democratic rule.
“God intends that our generation should go beyond talkshops or tokenisms and give our people democracy dividends in forms of gainful employment, job-creation, improved service delivery and improved infrastructure,” he added.
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