The Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Lamido Yuguda, has assured the management of the Lagos Free Zone (LFZ) of the commission’s required regulatory support.
Yuguda gave the assurance during a joint visit by the SEC and the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Ltd. to the Lagos Free Zone on Monday in Lagos.
According to Yuguda, Nigeria has all the industries it needs to become a powerhouse while applauding the efforts of the management of the LFZ in making investment opportunities available to Nigerians.
“We have the labour, raw materials and the market. Nigeria is a big market and if we can focus on this as a policy framework, we will be able to grow our economy and create wealth for our citizens.
“I am very impressed with what is going on here, this place holds promise for the future of Nigeria.
“I am sure this kind of place will give others the hope and courage to make useful investments in this country.
“The capital market is open for business and we are willing to provide all the necessary support for companies like this to access the capital market,” he said.
Yuguda said the aim of SEC was to see how the capital market could assist investors willing to set up companies that produced goods Nigerians could patronise and use.
“We will work with NGX to ensure you come to the capital market quickly. Nigerians need to own a part of businesses like this.
“We have to plan for the future with projects like this, these investments are what we should do now for a better future,” he added.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of LFZ, Mr Dinesh Rathi, expressed the hope that the operations of the company would assist Nigeria solve some of the problems relating to industrialisation.
According to Rathi, the LFZ is reassured by the words of the SEC, which shows the management is on the right path.
He promised that the organisation would ensure it achieved set milestones for the benefit of Nigerians.
“We desire regulatory support to succeed, and we believe that at the end we will assist to drive industrialisation for this country and help stop forex flight.
“Nigeria gains from this in the long run because employment will be generated as well as taxes among other benefits,” he added
