NASS, NEPZA laud LADOL’s investment
By Abimbola Abdullahi
The Senate Committee on Trade, Industry and Investment and the Nigeria Export Processing Zone Agency, NEPZA have commended LADOL’s achievement in turning a disused swamp into a world class industrial Free Zone over the last 20 years.
Chairman of the committee, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who led the delegation, was highly impressed by the LADOL Free Zone and assured of commitment to support and protect the significant investments at the zone.
He said: “I am very happy to be here to see that things are really going on. At your age [speaking to LADOL Chairman, Mr. Ladi Jadesimi] you are still aware that Nigeria is your home, and you took the initiative to invest here even when you have options to invest in Dubia, Europe and America. By what you have done you deserve a national award by Mr. President.”
“Whatever is being done in government owned free zones can be done here. The Senate Committee on Trade, Industry and Investment are happy with you, and we will use our legislative power to back you. If the Chairman of LADOL and NEPZA introduce backward integration into this place and continue to enlarge this place and bring in more investment into the land so that our youths that are unemployed will be gainfully employed and crime rate will reduce,” Senator Fadahunsi said.
Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Ishaku Elisha Abbo also commended LADOL’s investment initiative saying: “I feel proud that an indigenous company like LADOL exists. It is not owned by some German, some Indians, or some Lebanese owning this strategic place. Sometimes I feel worried when I see these foreign investors in the name of investing take over our ports, nobody knows what they ship into our country. I am a member Senate Committee on Defence, a member Senate Committee on Interior and I am the vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Nigeria Navy. So, when you see jetties all over own by foreign investors and we do not know what they bring from their ship and dock here, this gives us a lot of concerns security wise.”
“Seeing you investing in your country, we want to help you. If there are challenges, we in the senate will speak with one voice, if you are having challenges, please let us know. Your case is not a case of question and answer. We are not going to question you. We are going to support you.”
The Managing Director of NEPZA, Professor Adesoji Adesugba, said: “We will make sure that the business you want to do survives and nobody cheats you. You can count on the fact that Nigeria will support Nigerians any day. There is work in progress. We will make sure that businesses don’t go elsewhere, and we want businesses to come here.”
