By Favour Nnabugwu
Africa Free Zones Authority (AFZA) has attributed the stagnant growth of free zones in the country to non- utilisation of huge opportunities in the scheme.

Executive Secretary of AFZA, Mr.Chris Ndibe,  in Abuja, weekend, linked lack of basic knowledge of the scheme by the country’s lawmakers as the major impediment to its growth.

Ndibe believed that if the scheme is giving its pride of place, it is capable of creating about 10 million jobs annually in tandem with the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.

He posited that to accelerate the development of the nation’s economic through the free zones authority the chairman of the board of FZA should have a prime position in the Ministry of Trade and Investment.

The AFZA scribe decried a situation where the tenets of the free trade zone scheme are not followed or adhered to due to lack  of  the power and adequate knowledge  to enunciate and execute policies that should propel the scheme to match new world economic order, citing Ghana and the United States of American as examples.

He bemoaned that such practice could erode the economic gains that would normally have accrued to the nation as he beckoned on lawmakers to as a matter of urgency review the operating Act of 1992 establishing the country’s free trade zones.

Ndibe , however, noted that the zones were performing below expectations because of the current politicization of the nation’s 25 free trade zones  adding that , “Nigeria has what it takes to attract investors from all over the world, we cannot start competing with Taiwan, United States of America, United Kingdom and the Asians generally in their styles; Just like in football, you do not play the other person’s style if you are not well groomed in that style.

“You can take on your own style, and the style I have been preaching for free zones in Africa and in Nigeria in particular is to model our free zones against our comparative advantage and if we do this, the sky is our limit.”

Ndibe stated that  Kano Free Trade Zone had enormous potentials to attract investors to help develop both the urban and rural economies of the state, adding that the trade zone can compete favourably with other trade zones in the country.

According to him, “You may be thinking that Kano has nothing to offer and cannot attract investors there;  I tell you that give Kano the chance and model it against the comparative advantage. The Kano Free Trade Zone can compete with Onne Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone, because I grew up to know Kano as a place known for its groundnut pyramids.”