Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has announced that the proposed Ajaokuta Economic City, which will host the Kogi-Hunan Free Trade Zone, is scheduled to commence operations this year, with groundbreaking for the project slated for the second quarter of 2026.
The governor disclosed this while leading a delegation of state officials to receive the Declaration Certificate officially designating the Ajaokuta Economic City as a Free Trade Zone.
The certificate was presented by the management of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA).
In a statement signed on Thursday by the Special Adviser on Media to the Governor, Ismaila Isah, the presentation took place at NEPZA’s headquarters in Abuja. The agency’s Managing Director, Olufemi Ogunyemi, handed over the certificate following the Federal Government’s approval of the designation.
The approval came after earlier authorisation granted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in November 2025 for the establishment of the 4,000-hectare Ajaokuta Economic City in Kogi State.
Governor Ododo noted that securing Free Trade Zone status provides a robust legal and investment framework capable of drawing both local and foreign investors, boosting industrial development and generating thousands of jobs for residents of Kogi State.
He described the milestone as a “historic turning point” for both the state and Nigeria’s broader industrialisation agenda, emphasising that the zone would reposition Ajaokuta as a key economic hub in West Africa.
“Today is historic for our people. Sometime last year, I was here to interface with the managing director and his team to present reasons why Kogi State should be considered for this very special project, the Ajaokuta Economic City and Free Trade Zone. He guided us and set up various committees to ensure due diligence and compliance with all processes. When you have a leader who sincerely places the interest of the people first, the result is what we are seeing today,” Ododo said.
The governor further stated that the free trade zone would act as a driver of economic transformation, leveraging Kogi State’s strategic position and vast mineral deposits.
According to him, the state shares boundaries with several major commercial centres and possesses more than 30 solid minerals in commercial quantities.
“If you look at Kogi State, it is specially created by God. It is the only state in Nigeria that borders about 10 commercial centres, including the Federal Capital Territory. We are richly blessed with solid minerals such as coal, iron ore, lithium, gold and beryllium, but these have never worked for us,” he said.
He added that the initiative would unlock the state’s economic potential and firmly establish Ajaokuta as a strategic industrial base contributing to Nigeria’s wider economic transformation efforts.
The governor also assured that the Federal Government was intensifying efforts to revive the Ajaokuta facility.
“I want to advise that we should be up to date. Some people are not aware of what Mr President is currently doing in Ajaokuta. As we speak, there are investors already assessing the plant.
“Before the end of this year, Ajaokuta will be up and running. With the coming of this free trade zone, the project will advertise itself and add to the economic sustainability of our nation,” he said.
In his response, Ogunyemi described the issuance of the licence as the start of a long-term process, assuring that NEPZA would continue to collaborate with the state government in developing the zone.
“The road does not end here. This is the beginning of a long journey. This is a multi-sectoral economic city that can become one of the most successful free trade zones in Nigeria”, he said.
He noted that the free trade zone framework is globally acknowledged as a model for attracting investment, enhancing exports and creating employment opportunities.
With the addition of Ajaokuta Economic City, the number of Free Trade Zones licensed and regulated by NEPZA has risen to about 46, further broadening Nigeria’s special economic zones structure as the country moves toward the project’s planned 2026 take-off.
