The Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, has hailed the Itana Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Alaro City as a transformative step toward positioning Nigeria as a global hub for digital innovation and economic growth.
At a visit to the Itana site, Dr. Oduwole emphasized the project’s alignment with Nigeria’s ambitions to foster a robust digital economy and create millions of export-ready jobs.
The Itana SEZ, co-developed by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), is Africa’s first digital free zone, designed to attract global and Pan-African technology, finance, and service-based businesses. The eco-friendly technology campus aims to provide a seamless environment for businesses to operate and scale, supported by world-class infrastructure and innovation-driven policies.
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Dr. Oduwole’s visit coincided with the relaunch of the National Talent Export Programme – Nigeria (NATEP), a flagship initiative to equip 10 million Nigerians with globally competitive digital skills by 2030. NATEP targets the creation of 1 million service export jobs and a contribution of up to 5% to Nigeria’s GDP.
The AFC is spearheading the financing of the first phase of the Itana project, with a project value of US$100 million. The corporation’s investment underscores its commitment to sustainable industrialization across Africa by supporting infrastructure, skills development, and technological advancement.
