Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has officially launched the Ajaokuta Economic City, a newly designated Free Trade Zone expected to attract $500 million in annual foreign direct investment and create up to 50,000 jobs. The announcement was made during a stakeholders’ session at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, with the governor hailing the project as a major milestone in advancing Kogi’s industrial agenda.
Governor Ododo praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for swiftly approving the initiative and assured investors of a robust security framework. He also highlighted the role of the state’s higher institutions in supplying skilled manpower for the Free Trade Zone. “Today, we plant the seed of generational prosperity. Kogi State is the beating heart of Nigeria. We don’t talk. We do,” he said.
Aliyu Inda Salami, Chief Economic Adviser and head of the Kogi State Investment Promotion and Public-Private Partnership Agency, noted that the 4,000-hectare zone aligns with the governor’s vision to ensure Kogi’s resources benefit its people. He added that the zone already enjoys critical infrastructure advantages, including power, rail, inland waterways, and multi-modal transport links, with groundwork for the first phase already completed.
Representatives from China and Turkey expressed strong interest in the project. Li Zhensheng, leading the Chinese delegation, described the initiative as a landmark outcome of the Kogi–Hunan Sister City relationship, highlighting China’s readiness to contribute industrial expertise in manufacturing, logistics, and technology transfer. Hassan of Turkey’s Otreopoli Group also confirmed plans to invest across oil, gas, and logistics, emphasizing financing arrangements that would place no burden on government resources.
Technical Adviser to the Governor, Dr. Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata, explained the economic benefits of the emerging hub, describing it as a comprehensive industrial ecosystem. He outlined incentives such as full capital repatriation, tax breaks, specialized investment platforms, and educational exchange programs with Hunan Province, reaffirming projections of $500 million in annual investment and 50,000 jobs.
The event featured the signing of the administrative framework for the Free Trade Zone, endorsed by Hon. Aliyu Salami on behalf of Kogi State, Li Zhensheng for Zhuzhou Municipality, and Alhaji Isyaku Rabiu of IRS Group as development partner. Investors from Nigeria, China, Turkey, and other countries attended, exploring opportunities within the emerging Kogi–Hunan Free Trade Zone.
The project is widely seen as a major validation of the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and a transformative step toward positioning Kogi State as a key industrial hub in Nigeria.
