By Nafisat Makinde
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has received international recognition for its exceptional performance under the leadership of Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi. Dr. Ogunyemi was recently awarded the United States of America’s South Carolina and Georgia Commendation Award for his outstanding leadership and commitment to transparency, probity, and due process.
The award ceremony was held on June 9th and 10th at the House of Lords in London, where Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers (South Carolina) and Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler (Georgia) presented the commendation to Dr. Ogunyemi. The award was facilitated by the Africa Leadership Organisation, publisher of the Africa Leadership Magazine UK.
Under Dr. Ogunyemi’s leadership, NEPZA has attracted significant investments, including over $46.4 billion in investments into Nigeria’s economy through free trade zones. This has led to the creation of thousands of jobs, with over 600 enterprises operating in the zones, providing 150,000 direct employments and an estimated 400,000 indirect employment.
Dr. Ogunyemi’s leadership has been instrumental in driving growth in the free trade zones, and his appointment to lead NEPZA has been lauded as one of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s masterstrokes, showcasing his precision in human resource recruitment. Dr. Ogunyemi’s mandate aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda mantra of President Tinubu’s administration, and his leadership has been pivotal in building significant traffic of world-class enterprises into the free trade zones.
Furthermore, Dr. Ogunyemi has been elected to the Board of the World Trade Zones Organisation (WTZO) and the Steering Committee of the Africa Economic Zones Organisation (AEZO), further solidifying NEPZA’s global profile. With Dr. Ogunyemi at the helm, NEPZA is poised to continue attracting investments and driving economic growth in Nigeria.
