As a build up to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) that is billed to hold this weekend, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has said that when completed, the Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ogun state will serve as a proximity to the seaports in Lagos state.
National President of NAGAFF; Chief Eugene Nweke disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Lagos yesterday.
As a build up to its Annual General Meeting (AGM) that is billed to hold this weekend, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has said that when completed, the Olokola Free Trade Zone in Ogun state will serve as a proximity to the seaports in Lagos state.
National President of NAGAFF; Chief Eugene Nweke disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Lagos yesterday.
The NAGAFF president also revealed that 25 per cent of freight forwarders operating in Lagos ports reside in Ogun State, urging the federal government to collaborate with the Ogun state government, because of its proximity to Lagos and the need for trade facilitation.
Nweke reiterated that Olokola as it stands covers a landscape of 10,000 hectares of land with three Free Trade Zones scattered all over the state which in turn is good for business.
He said that NAGAFF as a professional group is in a better position to advice the government on the rudiments of the maritime industry on how to carry out feasibility studies to decentralize import activities in the country.
Nweke stressed that, "typical of our public policy advocacy campaign, this year theme: Free Trade Zone as a catalyst for International Trade Distribution and Networking; Olokola Free Trade Zone in Focus was designed to focus the world attention on this goldmine"
"Our choice of this theme is borne out of our experience as major stakeholders in the supply chain sector and the attendant problems from the congestion at Lagos ports, hence the need to encourage an overflow of imports to neighbouring ports using available gift of nature like waterways which locations like Olokola offers us as a nation”, he added.
"We are also passionate about this Olokola FTZ because we are convinced that if properly harnessed, if can help the state to solve a lot of problems confronting it in the area of revenue generation , employment , technological transfer, social amenities , infrastructural development among others", he stated, even as he assured that NAGAFF is willing to put its expertise in place to actualize the dream of the Olokola project.
He added that, "we did it in the Deep Sea Port at Badagry by sensitizing the government and the private investors to its relevance.
"Our studies have shown that although this Olokola FTZ was designed as an oil and gas FTZ, however the place offers wide range of facilities that could be stretched to solve other problems in the supply chain and maximise the many benefits the location is offering to us and the nation", the NAGAFF boss stated.
The association president also used the occasion to invite stakeholders to attend the AGM in Abeokuta.
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