Ogun State, on Wednesday, emerged as the winner of the Most Sustainable Going Green Stand award at the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 event held in Algiers, Algeria.
According to the organizers, the award is in recognition of Ogun State’s exceptional contribution to the 2025 IATF held in Algiers, Algeria, between September 4 and September 10.
The extraordinary exhibition was organized by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in partnership with the African Union Commission and the AfCFTA Secretariat and was hosted by the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
The plaque indicating Ogun State’s success was signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and Chairman of the IATF 2025 Advisory Council.
It will be recalled that while participating in a high-level panel session titled “Investment Showcase: Unveiling Opportunities from Select African & Caribbean Sub-Sovereigns” at the IATF 2025, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, showed the international community that Ogun State is actively breaking trade barriers through bold initiatives designed to attract investment and deepen trade.
Reaffirming Ogun State’s position as Nigeria’s leading investment destination, Governor Abiodun highlighted the pivotal role of subnationals in driving the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He noted that despite Africa’s enormous potential, intra-continental trade still accounts for only about 15 percent of total trade, largely due to weak infrastructure, cumbersome regulations, and fragmented value chains.
According to him, Ogun State’s blueprint for economic transformation includes multi-modal infrastructure development: the Gateway International Cargo Airport, Ijebu-Ode and Kajola Dry Ports, over 1,200 kilometers of upgraded roads, and expanded gas reticulation networks.
The blueprint, he said, also includes economic development clusters and free trade zones, including the Remo Economic Development Cluster, anchored by the newly licensed Gateway International Airport; the Ijebu Economic Development Cluster with proximity to the Dangote Refinery and Agro-Allied Industries; the Agbara Industrial Cluster; the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone; and several other hubs designed to support co-location, shared utilities, and value-chain optimization.
