Photo: Dangote, and Ayedatiwa
“We want to create the biggest free trade zone where investors can just come and plug in. We will generate power, provide infrastructure, and remove the bottlenecks around doing business,” said Aliko Dangote .
Dangote made the declaration during a courtesy visit to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa in his office in Akure, on Monday.
Dangote was accompanied by the Vice President, Dangote Industries Limited, Olakunle Alake, and the Managing Director, Logistics and Infrastructure, Dangote Industries Limited, Capt. Jamil Abubakar..
Dangote, in his remarks during the visit, emphasised that the proposed Olokola project would go beyond a conventional free trade zone, stressing that it would be fully equipped with power, water, and logistics infrastructure to enable investors to operate without delays associated with basic utilities.
According to him, the initiative was designed to address Nigeria’s long-standing power deficit, which he described as the country’s biggest industrial constraint for over 30 years, noting that most manufacturers currently rely on self-generated electricity.
He said that contractors are expected to mobilise to the site within three to four months, with full construction scheduled to commence in the last quarter of the year.
Dangote also indicated that the project structure would include government participation, requesting the nomination of a state representative to the board of the industrial zone to facilitate coordination and execution.
In response, Governor Aiyedatiwa welcomed Dangote’s renewed investment drive, describing it as a major milestone in Ondo State’s industrialisation agenda.
Governor Ayedatiwa said that the project aligns with his administration’s efforts to position the state as a leading industrial destination in the South-West, noting its strategic location along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
