The Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi, has said the Lekki Textile and Garment Special Economic Zone project located in the Eyin-Osa area of Epe, Lagos State, will generate 5,000 direct and over 20,000 indirect jobs when operational.

Ogunyemi made the remarks while disbursing cash compensation to the seven Eyin-Osa families that contributed the 240.09 acres of land for the Federal Government project.

A statement issued by the NEPZA Head, Corporate Communications, Martins Odeh, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja.

The MD, represented by Mrs. Chika Ibekwe, Director of Zone Operations, said that the community would be continually regenerated, adding that the benefits that would accrue from the gestures would spill over to several generations.

The beneficiaries included families of Olayinka Salami, Aderenle village, Muhammed Balogun, Bashorun Seidu, Iyanda, Matanmi Mobolaji, as well as the Agara Onileyan respectively.

“The space will generate 5,000 direct and over 20,000 indirect jobs for the country, just as it will serve the export markets of the South-West region.

“There are many benefits to gain from the SEZ, including employment generation, especially to the local community, the opportunity for backward linkage, improvement of infrastructure network around the project, and others too numerous to mention now,” he said.

Ogunyemi further said that the development was in line with the goals and objectives of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.

He, however, stated that the current administration of President Bola Tinubu is not just interested in attracting Foreign Direct Investments through the Free Trade Zone Scheme but was also interested in the development of all the host communities.

“This exercise is to commence the application of the Authority’s new concept of Community Social Regeneration in order to open a new chapter of cooperation and mutual understanding to foster unhindered progress of the free trade operations across the country.

“NEPZA has since re-aligned its mandate with the administration’s economic policy to deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.

“NEPZA will not shy away from leading the country on the path of economic growth. The Lekki Textile and Garments SEZ project is already attracting investment interest to this remote area of Lagos.,” Ogunyemi said.

Ogunyemi also explained that the Federal Government had taken steps to replicate the economic scheme across the six geopolitical zones, adding that more states should leverage the speedy development potentials of the scheme.

According to him, the Lekki Textiles and Garment SEZ will also serve as hubs for Information and Communication Technology, Agro-industries, as well as world-class sports and community development centres.

On his part, the president of Eyin-Osa United Kingdom Development Association, Muftau Shittu, the umbrella association for the host community, said that the area had been occupied by their forefathers for over 500 years.

He said that at the beginning, the enclaves and villages that constituted the community had lived in peace practising economic activities such as farming, hunting, fishing, brewing of hot drinks and timber lumbering.

Shittu however, said that trouble started in mid-year 2003 when groups of land grabbers started claiming ownership of Eyin-Osa lands from the original and rightful owners.

According to him, in May 2008, without due diligent information, the lands were expropriated to the Lekki Free Trade Zone, and the journey for adequate compensation with the Lagos State Government began.

“We are delighted today for this humane approach of the federal government through NEPZA. The community can only imagine these good gestures as most of the earliest promises were not kept. We now have NEPZA management and government that are serious about regenerating the Eyin-Osa land.

“We are happy to cede the total of 240.09 acres to NEPZA for the economic emancipation of our land. We pray that this cooperation and the steps to regenerate our people become permanent,” he added.