NEPZA assures host communities of free trade zones getting 60% job slots

Host communities of free trade zones in the country have been assured of 60 per cent jobs slots by the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).

NEPZA in a statement signed by the Acting Managing Director, Bitrus Dawuk, said the management of the processing zones are putting modalities in place to ensure its policy on allocation of 60 per cent of jobs is fully implemented.

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He disclosed  this while reacting to the recent labour crisis at Ogun-Guandong Free Zone, Igbesa, Ogun State, stating that industrial dispute between the workers and management of Goodwin Ceramic Free Zone Enterprise (FZE) located in the Zone, was necessitated by the extension of lockdown  by the government to curtail the spread of coronavirus pandemic, which prompted several workers of the Enterprise mostly from the North- East demanding for additional payment to stay or vacate the Zone.

The Acting MD noted that the plea by the Zone’s management and security agencies asking that the workers should stay in order not to expose them to the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial payment  provided for them to cater for their needs, fell on deaf ears.

“The Authority discovered that its policy on 60 per cent recruitment of people from the the catchment area was not fully enforced by the Free Zone Enterprise, which is among the reason for the labour crisis.”