Ogun Is Top Investment Destination, Gov Abiodun Tells AfCFTA Panel

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has told the international community that Ogun State is actively breaking trade barriers through bold initiatives designed to attract investment and deepen trade.

Governor Dapo Abiodun stated this while participating in 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 State’s position as Nigeria’s leading investment destination, Governor Abiodun highlighted the pivotal role of subnationals in driving the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He noted that despite Africa’s enormous potential, intra-continental trade still accounts for only about 15 per cent of total trade, mainly due to weak infrastructure, cumbersome regulations, and fragmented value chains.

He states Ogun State’s blueprint for economic transformation includes multi-modal infrastructure development: the Gateway International Cargo Airport, Ijebu-Ode and Kajola Dry Ports, over 1,200 kilometres of upgraded roads, and expanded gas reticulation networks.

The blueprint, he said, also includes economic development clusters and free trade zones, including the Remo Economic Development Cluster, anchored by the newly licensed Gateway International Airport; the Ijebu Economic Development Cluster with proximity to the Dangote Refinery and Agro-Allied Industries; the Agbara Industrial Cluster; the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone; and several other hubs designed to support co-location, shared utilities, and value-chain optimisation.

In addition, Abiodun said Ogun State has simplified investor processes 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 also listed Ogun State’s chief attractions, including policy certainty, with frameworks under the 2019 PPP Law, risk-sharing partnerships with AfDB and IFAD, and structured government-industry dialogue. Ogun State’s strategic location, with seamless access to Lagos ports, ECOWAS markets, and the Benin Republic border for regional distribution, also contributes to this.

He stated that 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.