Business
NEPZA Promises Wider Corridor For Women Investors
The Nigeria Export ProcWng Zones Authority (NEPZA) has reiterated its stance to provide wider business corridor for prospective women investors to access the country’s Free Trade Zones.
A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by Martins Odeh, Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, quoted Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, Managing Director of the authority as saying this to celebrate the 2022 International Women’s Day.
Adesugba said that NEPZA’s investment drive to fast track Nigeria’s industrialisation could be achieved faster when huge clusters of women investors were encouraged to leverage on incentives at special business enclaves.
He explained that the Authority was mulling the expansion of the corridor to attract women to leverage on variety of value chains in agro-allied, health, hospitality, estate and gem stones, amongst others.
“We are committed to assisting Nigerian women and others from across the world who have the requisite financial capacity to explore the zones for businesses.
“Only recently, we met with the women business group from the National Association of Chambers of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) to discuss business and collaboration possibilities.
“They have outlined their areas of interest and we are assiduously working on them.
“Approval for the establishment of Amazon Special Economic Zones is also being contemplated. The zone, when created will serve as hub for all women related businesses,’’ Adesugba said.
The NEPZA boss further said that the resilience nature of women coupled with their prudent management of resources set them apart as a huge human resource block that must be unleashed to speed up Nigeria’s growth.
Adesugba expressed satisfaction with the manner women positioned themselves to leverage on all-compassing opportunities.
He said that the Women’s International Day had always been an additional impetus to drum support for equal treatment of the gender.
Edun made the call while speaking at the 2025 Fellowship Investiture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) in Lagos, where he reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing reforms and expanding access to finance as key drivers of economic growth beyond four per cent.
“We all know that monetary policy under Cardoso has stabilised the financial system in a most commendable way. Of course, it is a team effort, and those eye-watering interest rates have to be paid by the fiscal side. But the fight against inflation is one we all have to participate in,” he said.
The minister stressed the need for banks to broaden credit access and finance innovation-driven enterprises that can create jobs for young Nigerians.
“The finance and banking industry has more work to do because we must finance their ideas, deepen the capital and credit markets down to SMEs. They should not have to go to Silicon Valley,” he said.
The minister who described the private sector as the engine of growth, said the government’s reform agenda aims to create an enabling environment where businesses can thrive, access funding, and contribute meaningfully to job creation.
The facility, known as the Nigeria Actions for Investment and Jobs Acceleration (P512892), is a Development Policy Financing (DPF) operation scheduled for World Bank Board consideration on December 16, 2025.
According to the Bank’s concept note , the financing would comprise $500m in International Development Association (IDA) credit and $500m in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan.
If approved, it would be the second-largest single loan Nigeria has received from the World Bank under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, following the $1.5 billion facility granted in June 2024 under the Reforms for Economic Stabilisation to Enable Transformation (RESET) initiative.
The World Bank said the new programme aims to support Nigeria’s shift from short-term macroeconomic stabilisation to sustainable, private sector–led growth.
“The proposed Development Policy Financing (DPF) supports Nigeria’s pivot from stabilization to inclusive growth and job creation. Structured as a two-tranche standalone operation of US$1.0 billion (US$500 million IDA credit and US$500 million IBRD loan), it seeks to catalyse private sector–led investment by expanding access to credit, deepening capital markets and digital services, easing inflationary pressures, and promoting export diversification,” the document read.
The document further stated that Nigeria’s private sector credit-to-GDP ratio stood at only 21.3 per cent in 2024, significantly below that of emerging-market peers, while capital markets remain shallow, with sovereign securities dominating the bond market.
To address these weaknesses, the DPF will support the implementation of the Investment and Securities Act 2025, operationalisation of credit-enhancement facilities, and introduction of a comprehensive Central Bank of Nigeria rulebook to strengthen risk-based regulation and consumer protection.
The operation also includes measures to deepen digital inclusion through the passage of the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, which will establish a legal framework for electronic transactions, authentication services, and digital records.
Beyond the financial and digital sectors, the programme targets reforms to lower production and living costs by tackling Nigeria’s restrictive trade regime. High tariffs and import bans have long driven up consumer prices and constrained competitiveness, particularly for manufacturers and farmers.
Under the proposed reforms, Nigeria would adopt AfCFTA tariff concessions, rationalise import restrictions, and simplify agricultural seed certification to increase the supply of high-quality varieties for maize, rice, and soybeans. The World Bank projects that these measures will help reduce food inflation, attract private investment, and enhance export potential.
The operation is part of a broader World Bank FY26 package that includes three complementary projects—Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs (FINCLUDE), Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE), and Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth (AGROW)—all focused on expanding access to finance, strengthening institutions, and mobilising private capital.