The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has ordered tighter enforcement against the alleged illegal importation of containers into Free Trade Zones.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NEPZA, Olufemi Ogunyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Authority’s Head of Corporate Communications, Martins Odeh, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ogunyemi said the enforcement would involve intensified inspections, closer scrutiny of import and export documentation and coordinated action with relevant government agencies.

He stressed that operating licences issued to Free Trade Zone operators were not merely permits to conduct business but legal obligations requiring compliance with the rules governing the zones.

The NEPZA boss warned operators against circumventing lawful import and export procedures, mis-declaring goods or moving containers through unauthorised channels.

He said businesses found violating the regulations would face the full range of penalties provided under the law.

Ogunyemi said the measures were aimed at protecting legitimate businesses and preventing unlawful activities from undermining confidence in the Free Trade Zone scheme, which is designed to promote manufacturing, exports, investment and job creation.

He said illegal importation undermined lawful commerce, exposed communities to unregulated goods and weakened public confidence in the regulatory system.

The NEPZA chief, however, stressed that the Authority would distinguish between operators involved in wrongdoing and those complying with the regulations.

He said businesses found culpable would face the consequences prescribed by law, while operators cleared of wrongdoing would be allowed to continue their activities.

Ogunyemi noted that the majority of businesses operating within the zones remained compliant and continued to contribute to economic activity.

He urged operators and their associations to strengthen self-policing and support the Authority’s enforcement efforts.

The NEPZA boss said the Free Trade Zone scheme remained an important source of government revenue and called on stakeholders to protect its reputation by ensuring compliance with established regulations.