Dike Onwuamaeze
The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has called on the federal government and the Lagos State Government to urgently explore a balanced interim solution that would reopen manufacturing and commercial facilities within the Dopemu industrial corridor of Lagos State pending the final determination of the matter by the law courts.
The call was made yesterday by the Director-General of NECA, Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, who stressed that the association is not seeking to interfere with the judicial process but merely drawing attention to the far-reaching economic implications of the prolonged closure of productive enterprises.
Oyerinde noted that the affected corridor forms part of the Lagos-Ogun industrial axis, which accounts for more than 50 percent of Nigeria’s industrial output, making the implications of the disruption a matter of national economic concern rather than an isolated commercial dispute.
He said that the closure of manufacturing and commercial facilities within the Dopemu industrial corridor followed the enforcement of a warrant of possession by the Lagos State High Court Sheriff’s Department on July 30, 2026, in a longstanding land dispute.
He said: “Our appeal is straightforward. We urge the federal government and Lagos State Government to work with all relevant stakeholders to find a balanced solution that upholds the rule of law while safeguarding jobs, sustaining critical manufacturing activities, protecting investor confidence and preventing avoidable socio-economic hardship.
“Nigeria cannot afford to lose productive enterprises and livelihoods when pragmatic interim measures can preserve economic stability without prejudicing the judicial process.”
He said that NECA reaffirmed its unwavering respect for the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law but is urging the federal government, through the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), together with the Lagos State Government, to explore a balanced interim solution that would safeguards jobs, protects investments, sustains industrial activities and mitigate the growing socio-economic consequences of the closures, pending the final determination of the matter by the courts.
He added: “We fully respect the judicial process and are not seeking to interfere with ongoing court proceedings. However, there is an equally compelling public interest in ensuring that businesses employing thousands of Nigerians are not subjected to prolonged operational paralysis while legal issues are being resolved. The preservation of jobs, investments and productive capacity should remain a priority for all stakeholders,” he said.