President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of the Ajaokuta Economic City Free Trade Zone in November 2025. The approval covered a 4,000-hectare site located in the Ajaokuta economic development corridor. This decision followed a working visit by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority in Abuja earlier in the year. Consequently, the project received the necessary federal backing to proceed with implementation.
Governor Ododo formally unveiled the Ajaokuta Economic City at a stakeholders’ engagement held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. He described the project as a new chapter in Kogi’s industrial growth. Furthermore, he thanked President Tinubu for granting timely approval and supporting the initiative. The governor assured investors of a strong security framework for the zone and emphasized the role of higher institutions in providing skilled manpower.
“We have received presidential approval for the Ajaokuta Economic City, and today we are unveiling a major step in the journey toward industrial transformation,” Ododo stated. He added, “Today, we plant the seed of generational prosperity. Kogi State is the beating heart of Nigeria. We don’t talk. We do.”
The unveiling ceremony attracted investors from China, Turkey, and other countries. Li Zhensheng, head of the Chinese delegation, described the Kogi-Hunan Free Trade Zone as a flagship achievement of the Kogi-Hunan Sister City partnership. He confirmed that China stood ready to deploy industrial expertise to support manufacturing, logistics, and technology transfer within the zone.
Hasan GÜNGÖR, General Manager of ÖZTÜRK HOLDING CO LLC from Turkey, expressed readiness to invest in oil, gas, and logistics. He assured attendees that his company would adopt funding models that place “zero burden on government.”
Aliyu Inda Salami, Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor and Chief Executive Officer of Kogi State Investment Promotion and Public Private Partnership Agency, outlined the zone’s strategic advantages. He noted that the site included power infrastructure, rail lines, inland waterways, and multi-modal transportation links. Salami confirmed that the project had received full presidential approval and that groundwork for the first phase had been completed.
“The Ajaokuta Economic City reflects the governor’s commitment to ensuring that Kogi’s resources work for the people,” Salami remarked.
Dr. Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata, Technical Adviser to the Governor, projected that the Free Trade Zone would generate up to 500 million in annual foreign direct investment and create 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. He highlighted key incentives including 100 per cent capital repatriation, tax exemptions, sector-specific investment windows, and educational exchange programmes with Hunan Province.
