By Oluwakemi Kindness
The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) says the destruction of facilities at the Tinapa Free Trade Zone during the 2020 EndSARS unrest dealt a major blow to investor confidence and undermined efforts to position the complex as a hub for trade, tourism and industrial development.
NEPZA’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr Martins Odeh, disclosed this during a media tour to assess the damage to infrastructure at the complex, including the Tinapa Hotel and the light rail project.
Odeh described the destruction as a significant setback to the economic ambitions of Cross River State and Nigeria, noting that investments worth trillions of naira had been ruined.
He said the tour was organised to enable journalists to witness the extent of the damage to the facility, which was established to attract investors, promote commerce and boost tourism.
The NEPZA spokesperson also expressed concern that six years after the incident, no one had been prosecuted over the looting and vandalism. He called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
Despite the setbacks, Odeh expressed optimism that Tinapa could be revived through collaboration between the Federal Government and the Cross River State Government.
He urged investors to reconsider the facility, assuring them that security within the zone had improved and that NEPZA remained committed to restoring its economic viability.
Tinapa was conceived during the administration of former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke as a major business and tourism destination designed to attract investment, stimulate economic activities and create jobs.
NEPZA maintained that the complex still had significant economic potential and could once again contribute to employment generation, tourism and economic growth in Cross River State and the country at large.
