Shettima, AfDB President arrive Calabar for new export processing zone groundbreaking

Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima and President of the African Development Bank AFDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, have arrived in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, for the groundbreaking ceremony of a new Export Processing Economic Zone, EPEZ.
Their visit was confirmed by Governor Bassey Otu, who returned to the state on Wednesday, after a three-week vacation abroad.

He was received at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport by a jubilant crowd of supporters.
The new EPEZ is a joint initiative between the Cross River State Government and the African Development Bank, aimed at boosting economic growth and attracting investment.

The new zone will complement the existing Export Processing Zone in Calabar, which is federally owned.
Governor Otu described the EPEZ as a transformative project poised to reshape the state’s economy, create employment opportunities, and attract significant investment. “A new era of economic revival has begun,” he declared. “The sky is the limit for Cross River.”

He also revealed plans for a Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone, highlighting the state’s strategic position as a major evacuation corridor.

“We are finally stepping into our rightful place in Nigeria’s economic structure,” he added.