Kogi gets approval for Ajaokuta free trade zone

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) has granted Kogi State a licence to establish the Ajaokuta Economic City Free Trade Zone, a project the state government says could transform its economy.

The approval certificate was presented to Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo at the NEPZA headquarters in Abuja.

In a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, described the licence as a major milestone that signalled the formal take-off of what he called one of Nigeria’s most strategic industrial corridors.

NEPZA’s Managing Director, Olufemi Ogunyemi, congratulated the Kogi State government, saying he was confident it had the capacity to turn the Economic City into a viable investment hub.

Governor Ododo thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the free trade zone, pledging that the state would work to rapidly develop it into a model industrial and commercial centre.

He also praised NEPZA for its administrative and technical support, which he said helped secure the declaration.

The governor attended the ceremony with lawmakers and senior state officials. Mr Fanwo said Kogi’s central location could help the project evolve into one of Nigeria’s largest commercial and industrial corridors, driving investment, jobs, exports and long-term economic growth.