September 09, (THEWILL) — Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has declared that the state is dismantling trade barriers through bold reforms aimed at attracting investment and expanding trade opportunities.
The governor stated this while speaking at a high-level panel session titled “Investment Showcase: Unveiling Opportunities from Select African & Caribbean Sub-Sovereigns” at the ongoing IATF25 in Algiers, Algeria.
Reaffirming Ogun’s position as Nigeria’s leading investment destination, Abiodun stressed the critical role of subnationals in driving the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He noted that intra-African trade currently accounts for only 15 percent of the continent’s total trade, a gap largely caused by poor infrastructure, cumbersome regulations, and fragmented value chains.
Outlining his administration’s blueprint for economic transformation, Abiodun cited the Gateway International Cargo Airport, the planned Ijebu-Ode and Kajola Dry Ports, more than 1,200km of upgraded roads, and expanded gas networks as key enablers.
He also highlighted the state’s economic clusters and free trade zones, including the Remo Economic Development Cluster, anchored by the new Gateway International Airport; the Ijebu Cluster with proximity to the Dangote Refinery and Agro-Allied Industries; the Agbara Industrial Cluster; and the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
These, he said, are designed to support co-location, shared utilities, and value-chain optimisation.
Abiodun further pointed to OgunInvest— a one-stop investment centre, and a GIS-enabled Land Bank with 300,000 hectares of pre-verified land, which have simplified processes for permits, land titles, and approvals.
According to him, Ogun’s key attractions include policy stability under the 2019 PPP Law, risk-sharing partnerships with AfDB and IFAD, structured government-industry dialogue, and its strategic location with direct access to Lagos ports, ECOWAS markets, and the Benin Republic border.
“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.
Seun Shotunde, THEWILL
