Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that his state is Nigeria’s leading investment destination as he outlined a series of reforms designed to attract investors and deepen trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The governor made the declaration while speaking on a high-level panel titled “Investment Showcase: Unveiling Opportunities from Select African & Caribbean Sub-Sovereigns” at the ongoing Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers, Algeria.
Governor Abiodun told participants that Ogun was “actively breaking trade barriers through bold initiatives designed to attract investment and deepen trade.”
He reaffirmed that subnational governments must drive the success of AfCFTA, noting that despite Africa’s vast potential, intra-continental trade still accounts for only 15 per cent of total trade due to weak infrastructure, cumbersome regulations, and fragmented value chains.
The governor outlined Ogun State’s detailed blueprint for economic transformation, which includes multi-modal infrastructure projects such as the Gateway International Cargo Airport, the Ijebu-Ode and Kajola Dry Ports, over 1,200 kilometres of upgraded roads, and expanded gas reticulation networks.
He also highlighted specific industrial clusters and free trade zones, including the Remo Economic Development Cluster anchored by the new Gateway Airport, the Ijebu Cluster with proximity to the Dangote Refinery, the Agbara Industrial Cluster, and the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
To simplify processes for investors, the state has established the One-Stop Investment Centre, known as OgunInvest, and a GIS-enabled Land Bank covering 300,000 hectares of pre-verified land.
This system enables faster permits, titles, and approvals for businesses. The governor added that the state offers policy certainty through its 2019 Public-Private Partnership Law, risk-sharing frameworks with partners like the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, and structured dialogue with industry players.
Abiodun emphasised that Ogun’s strategic location, bordering Lagos, ECOWAS markets, and the Republic of Benin, further strengthens its appeal as a regional distribution hub. “With these interventions, Ogun State is positioning itself as Nigeria’s foremost AfCFTA hub, where scale, speed, and certainty converge to unlock shared prosperity for Africa,” he said.
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