The Niger State House of Assembly has passed a law to establish Babanna Market and Free Trade Zone Agency, 2023.
The house also passed bills for a law to establish a housing scheme for the state judicial officers and two other bills.
The bills were passed during the plenary session in Minna on Wednesday.
Other bills are a law to amend the Niger State Law Reform Commission Law 2008 and a law to establish Penal Code Law of the state to penalise crimes established under the law.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary and Legal Matters, Mr Ahmed Bello (PDP-Agwara) while presenting the report to the house, said that the bill for a law to establish a housing scheme for the state judicial officers, seeks to make provision for the state judicial officers.
He added that the bill for a law to amend the Niger State Law Reform Commission Law, 2008, seeks to amend the state Law Reform Commission, 2023.
Bello said that the bill for a law to establish Penal Code Law of the state to penalise crimes established under the law seeks to make provision for the review of the Penal Code Law (Cap. 94) laws of Niger State 1989.
He said that the bill also seeks to provide speedy dispensation of justice and to strengthen criminal procedures.
Similarly, the lawmaker said that the bill for a law to establish Babanna Market and Free Trade Zone Agency, 2023, would boost the economy of the state and the neighbouring countries to Babanna and Borgu.
“There is need to begin to think of how to diversify our revenue generation taking advantage of the vast land the state has and with the dwindling economy, the bill came on board to establish the agency
“When you look at Babanna Market, it is more like an international market and there is need to have a legislation to regulate activities in the market in terms of revenue collection since it is a border town and people from neighbouring countries come there.
“We are looking for windows where to generate revenue for the state government to be able to provide dividends of democracy,” he said.
The Babanna Market and Free Trade Zone Agency, 2023, when established shall execute projects aimed at transforming the economy of the state from subsistence production to an export-driven economy among others.
