Ogun State has rolled out reforms to attract investors and deepen trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area, as Governor Dapo Abiodun declared that the state remains Nigeria’s leading investment destination.
According to a statement, Abiodun 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.
He told participants that Ogun was “actively breaking trade barriers through bold initiatives designed to attract investment and deepen trade.”
The governor reaffirmed that subnationals 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.
Outlining Ogun’s blueprint for economic transformation, Abiodun listed multi-modal infrastructure projects such as the Gateway International Cargo Airport, Ijebu-Ode and Kajola Dry Ports, over 1,200 kilometres of upgraded roads, and expanded gas reticulation networks.
He also highlighted 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.
“Ogun State has simplified processes for investors through the One-Stop Investment Centre (OgunInvest) and a GIS-enabled Land Bank covering 300,000 hectares of pre-verified land, enabling faster permits, titles, and approvals,” the governor said.
He added that the state offers policy certainty through its 2019 Public-Private Partnership Law, risk-sharing frameworks with AfDB and IFAD, and structured dialogue with industry players.
Abiodun added 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.
