Abuja, July 1, 2025 — In a decisive move to streamline regulatory operations and promote seamless trade facilitation within Nigeria’s Free Zones, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA), and the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) have jointly committed to resolving longstanding jurisdictional overlaps.
At a high-level strategic meeting held at the PEBEC Secretariat in Abuja, the leadership of the three agencies Dr. Vincent Isegbe, Comptroller-General of NAQS; Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, Managing Director of NEPZA; and Princess Zarah Director-General PEBEC jointly addressed pressing concerns regarding overlapping mandates, particularly in relation to agricultural inspection, quarantine enforcement, and trade regulation in Free Trade Zones.
During the meeting, Dr. Vincent Isegbe reaffirmed NAQS’s core responsibility as Nigeria’s National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO), emphasizing its statutory role in issuing phytosanitary certificates and upholding compliance with World Trade Organization (WTO) guidelines. He noted that these obligations are critical to safeguarding national biosecurity and should not be compromised. He also underscored NAQS’s second mandate to facilitate, not hinder, trade and reiterated the agency’s commitment to enabling smooth trade.
Following extensive deliberations, the agencies agreed to establish a Joint Inter-Agency Committee comprising representatives from NAQS, NEPZA, and PEBEC. The committee will conduct a comprehensive review of current legal and operational frameworks, identify areas of mandate conflict, and propose actionable reforms to clarify jurisdictional roles and foster greater operational synergy.
This landmark collaboration represents a pivotal step toward enhancing inter-agency cooperation and advancing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business agenda. It also signals a renewed commitment to improving the predictability, efficiency, and investor appeal of Nigeria’s Free Zone ecosystem.
All parties reaffirmed their shared dedication to national development, pledging to work in concert to ensure that regulatory duties are performed seamlessly—without duplication, ambiguity, or undue obstruction to trade.
