The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority and the National Bureau of Statistics have agreed to partner to enable the agencies share relevant data on import and export points and gauge the contribution of the Free Trade Zone Scheme to the national economy.

According to a statement on Thursday by the Head, Corporate Communications, NEPZA, Martins Odeh, the agreement was reached when NEPZA’s Managing Director, Prof Adesoji Adesugba and the  the Chief Executive Officer of NBS, Dr Yemi Kale, met at the bureau’s headquarters in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The statement was titled ‘NEPZA, NBS to share data on import, export, FDI, employment generation.’

Adesugba was quoted as saying that the synergy was directed at sharing relevant data between the two agencies in order to regularly highlight the zone scheme’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, Foreign Direct Investment and employment generation.

He added that the collaboration would facilitate the training of NEPZA’s staff on high quality data gathering, presentation, analysis and interpretation.

The NEPZA boss further explained that the understanding between the two organisations would also give the authority the leverage to navigate the NBS data platform without hindrance.

Kale said the bureau was established to monitor indices of the productive sector, adding that any contemplated partnership toward that direction was welcomed.

He added that NEPZA was a strategic agency of government set up to use the zone scheme to drive industrialisation.

Kale said, “It is imperative indeed to keep statistical track of the authority’s contribution to the economy.

“I would like to particularly thank Prof Adesoji Adesugba for bringing the desired change and innovation to NEPZA.

“Using statistical tools to gauge the authority’s mandate remains the best form of monitoring and evaluation.

“We are therefore prepared to concretise this working relationship for the overall benefit of the country.”

NEPZA and the NBS also agreed to set up a technical committee comprising of members from both agencies with the sole aim of developing instruments that would assist NEPZA’s data production system.