The Kogi State Government is to establish a free trade zone to be located in the Ajaokuta economic development corridor in the state.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo disclosed this during a working visit to the Managing Director of the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) Dr. Olufemi Ogunyemi in Abuja on Tuesday where he has gone to eek the support of the management of NEPZA to make the zone conceived over ten years ago a reality.
A statement on Wednesday by the governor’s spokesperson Ismaila Isah in Lokoja quoted the governor as saying when established, the special economic zone would harness the abundant natural resources in the state given its strategic location as a connecting point between the north and the southern part of Nigeria.
The statement said Ododo revealed that Kogi state is endowed with numerous solid mineral resources in commercial quantities, arable land for agricultural production and top quality human resources waiting to be tapped with the establishment of a special economic zone.
The Managing Director of NEPZA, Dr Olufemi Ogunyemi said the authority would support the Kogi State Government by activating processes that would lead to the timely approval, licensing and other assistance required to facilitate the establishment of the zone.
The state government had earlier allocated 3,000 hectares of land in the Ajaokuta economic development corridor for the project to be funded through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.
