NEPZA Brokers Peace To Save Abuja Technology Village From Land Revocation, Pledges World-Class FTZ Makeover
Dr. Nafisat Makinde
ABUJA
In a decisive move to avert what could have been a crippling setback for one of Nigeria’s flagship Free Trade Zones, the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has intervened to resolve the brewing conflict between the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and the Abuja Technology Village (ATV) over the threatened revocation of the zone’s land title.
NEPZA Managing Director, Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi, called on ATV operators and investors to immediately withdraw their lawsuit against the FCTA to pave the way for a roundtable resolution.
> “We must work together to achieve this for the good of our nation,” Ogunyemi said during a courtesy visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Barrister Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
The ATV operators had taken the legal route after the FCTA issued a revocation notice — a move that threatened to derail years of planning and investment in the tech-driven economic hub.
Ogunyemi stressed that preserving the integrity of the Free Trade Zone scheme was vital to accelerating Nigeria’s industrialisation and attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), adding that the FCTA already recognised the scheme’s vast potential.
He commended Minister Wike’s economic expansion drive, particularly the planned Abuja City Walk (ACW) project — a massive mixed-use development set to redefine the capital’s commercial and social landscape.
Ogunyemi also revealed that NEPZA would soon conduct a national audit of all 63 licensed Free Trade Zones, evaluating their operational viability and contributions to Nigeria’s export drive.
In response, Minister Wike reaffirmed his resolve to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in boosting industrialisation, trade, and investment in the capital territory.
> “We must fulfil Mr. President’s promises regarding industrialisation, trade, and investment. The FCT will work with NEPZA to review the future of ATV, a zone the administration itself supported,” Wike assured.
The minister disclosed that the Abuja City Walk project would span over 200 hectares within the Abuja Technology Village corridor along Airport Road, featuring residential, commercial, retail, hospitality, medical, and institutional facilities.
Describing it as a “high-definition, world-class” development, Wike said the ACW would give practical expression to the Renewed Hope Agenda in the North-Central region. He also vowed to pursue defaulters of land and property obligations to unlock the full development potential of the FCT.