The Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority has attracted more than 150 companies into Nigeria with investment portfolio of more than $6 billion, an official said.
The Managing Director of OGFTZA, Victor Alabo, told newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday that the figure represented 60 per cent of total investment into Nigeria in the last nine years
“The OGFZ at Onne has attracted all major oil companies in the area and is now using the free zone as a hub for their activities covering the whole Gulf of Guinea up to Angola and Southern Africa,” Alabo said.
He said that the Financial Times of London Magazine on FDI regarded OGFTZ as one of the most successful zones in Africa.
Alabo said that the presence of the Free Trade Zones had increased economic activities in the area as the Onne Port was the second highest port in Nigeria after Apapa.
He said that the agency had also created over 30,000 direct and indirect jobs for Nigerians.
He said: “There has been transfer of technology to Nigerians through manpower training, particularly due to specialised nature of their operations.
“For example, Tenaris, which is the largest pipe producing company in the world, has trained over 70 Nigerians overseas on pipe technology and many more companies do similar programmes.
“Hamilton Technology works out regular courses/training to staff for career opportunity and productivity by sending Nigerian staffers to Aberdeen and Malaysia for Drilling Fluids Engineering courses.
“And it is a continuous process.”
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