Nigeria is pushing to integrate its special economic zones more closely into European value chains as part of a broader effort to accelerate industrialisation, attract investment and rebalance trade relations with the European Union, the head of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority said on Monday.
Speaking at a trade and investment facilitation meeting at the European House in Abuja, NEPZA Managing Director Olufemi Ogunyemi said Nigeria’s network of special economic zones could serve as effective platforms for deepening economic cooperation with the EU amid shifting global trade and investment dynamics.
Ogunyemi urged European governments and companies to make greater use of Nigeria’s free zones, which operate under a regulated framework designed to support manufacturing, processing and export-oriented activities. He said closer engagement would align with Europe’s increasing focus on supply-chain resilience and economic autonomy.
The global economic order, Ogunyemi said, is moving away from a predictable, rules-based system toward one shaped more by alliances and economic pressure. In that context, he argued, Nigeria’s special economic zones offer a structured environment for long-term industrial partnerships between Nigeria and Europe.
He said the EU’s pursuit of economic resilience aligns with Nigeria’s efforts to reposition its industrial base through strategically located and well-regulated economic zones. Increased European economic activity along Nigeria’s special economic zone corridors, he added, would help reduce overconcentration of supply dependencies, protect critical value chains and stimulate economic activity across West Africa.
The European Union remains Africa’s largest partner in trade and investment, but Ogunyemi said the structure of that relationship remains a shared strategic challenge. Trade between Africa and the EU is still largely dominated by Africa’s exports of raw materials, limiting value addition, industrial growth and human capital development on the continent.
According to Ogunyemi, trade in goods between Africa and the EU was valued at nearly 355 billion euros in 2024, while trade in services exceeded 100 billion euros. Despite the scale of trade, he said limited local processing has constrained the long-term developmental impact of the relationship.
He said increased European investment in Nigeria’s special economic zones would promote value addition, strengthen supply-chain sustainability and enhance mutual economic benefits for Nigeria and Europe. Such partnerships, Ogunyemi added, would also support the EU’s efforts to build more diversified and strategically aligned supply networks beyond traditional suppliers.
The meeting was attended by ambassadors of European countries, heads of delegation of EU member states, and representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, with discussions focused on practical pathways for investment, trade facilitation and deeper industrial cooperation.