The Lagos State Government has constituted Epe Lagoon and Lekki Coastal Resettlement Committees tasked to resettle displaced indigents following the establishment of the Lekki Free Trade Zone.
Explaining the role and expectations of the committee, the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Lola Akande, said that a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) binding the committee, contained provisions that must be strictly complied to.
She disclosed that the committee was to serve for a period of two years.
Akande said, “It is important to state that this newly reconstituted resettlement committee will work in strict compliance with the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
“This is to mitigate any maladministration of the resettlement land. Importantly, unauthorised land sales are prohibited and this will attract legal sanction for individuals found complicit in the practice.
“They are to take up roles and obligations that have been set out in their respective Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and elaborated by key executive committee.
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“These obligations are the planning, designing, monitoring and evaluating the resettlement of individuals and families affected by the Lekki free Zone Project; maintaining peace, law and order in the communities.
“They will serve as the primary point of contact between members of the communities and the state government for all enquiries relating to the project and necessary requests.”
Little Info…
What is A Free Zone?
It is an area where goods are shipped to, manufactured at, or altered for re-exportation without the interference of the customs service.
In the trade zone area, there are no strict barriers to trade between countries, as its aim is to improve trade relationships between countries and stimulate foreign exchange earnings.
About the Lekki Free Trade Zone
The Lekki Free Trade Zone sits on 3,000 hectares of land, and is expected to swell to a 320 million market size.
It is projected to open the city up to a flurry of trading activities from all kinds of investors on a global scale.
The most prominent project located at the free trade zone area is the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical plant, which is Africa’s largest oil refinery, with a $17 billion value.
The zone has been described by the World Bank as the fastest growing free zone.
In contributing to its establishment, the Lagos State Government, in 2016, dolled out the sum of N1.6 billion.
