KAN0 FREE TRADE ZONE RECORDS UNPRECEDENTED REVENUE SURGE, BOOSTING NON-OIL INDUSTRIALISATION
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has reported a historic rise in revenue at the Kano Free Trade Zone, marking one of the strongest performances in the zone’s history and highlighting Nigeria’s progress toward non-oil industrialisation.
Speaking at the Kano Free Trade Zone Investors’ Forum, NEPZA Managing Director Olufemi Ogunyemi revealed that the hub generated over N18 billion between January and October 2025, surpassing the zone’s total revenue for the entire year of 2024. Ogunyemi was represented at the event by Richard Bassey, Head of the Zone.
Beyond NEPZA’s earnings, Bassey noted a significant increase in Customs-generated revenue, with the Nigeria Customs Service reporting N17 billion from the zone’s operations this year. This represents a N2 billion rise compared to the same period last year—an over eightfold growth attributed to intensified production and export activities.
The remarkable performance was credited to a coordinated regulatory model that aligns agencies such as Customs, Immigration, SON, NAFDAC, and NESREA with investors from the earliest stages of project development. Bassey explained that this hands-on approach, starting from land allocation, has minimized compliance breaches and accelerated factory operational timelines.
“The volume of investment continues to grow, and these revenue figures reflect improved production capacity and more efficient operations. These achievements confirm the zone’s role as a key driver of non-oil industrialisation and export-led growth,” he said.
The zone is also attracting increased dollar-denominated investment, supporting the federal government’s strategy to diversify Nigeria’s economy away from crude oil and toward manufacturing and export competitiveness.
Speaking on regulatory oversight, Kasim Ibrahim, Kano State Coordinator of NAFDAC, emphasized that the rapid expansion of the zone must not compromise product quality. He warned that substandard exports could threaten Nigeria’s WHO Maturity Level 3 ranking. Ibrahim added that NAFDAC is enhancing surveillance through more frequent and unannounced inspections to ensure compliance with good manufacturing practices and protect Nigeria’s international regulatory credibility.
With record-breaking revenue and rising investor interest, NEPZA is encouraging local and international manufacturers to capitalize on what it calls one of Nigeria’s most stable and investor-friendly business environments.
“The Free Zone is the place to be—where investment dreams become reality,” Bassey said.
