Cargo operations at Gateway International Airport in Ogun State, Nigeria, are expected to commence within the next 30 to 45 days, with the first cargo aircraft from Europe anticipated to arrive at the facility.
The update was provided by Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun during an inspection visit to the Industrial Platform Remo Free Trade Zone located along the Sagamu–Ijebu-Ode Expressway, at the end of February 2026.
The Industrial Platform Remo is the Special Agro-Processing Zone project situated between Iperu and Ilishan. The initiative was conceived toward the end of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of efforts to stimulate agro-industrial development and position Ogun State as a processing and export hub.
During the visit, the governor indicated that the access road connecting the Sagamu–Benin Expressway directly to the airport is nearing completion and will soon be opened to the public. The road forms part of the infrastructure designed to support the airport and associated industrial activities within the free trade zone.
The project concept was initially introduced to the Ogun State administration by the African Development Bank and was later developed into what is now known as the Industrial Platform.
Construction activity within the zone is progressing, with several companies already building processing facilities. A 6,800 square metre warehouse currently under construction was also inspected during the visit.
The development is structured as an integrated ecosystem designed to support agricultural production and processing within a single industrial environment aimed at improving efficiency and value addition.
The free trade zone is planned to include a dedicated power supply system, waste management facilities, an independent administrative structure and a comprehensive security framework.
The project is also expected to host a major cotton garment processing facility described as the largest of its kind globally, which is intended to support employment creation and industrial activity in the region.
The Industrial Platform initiative forms part of a partnership between Ogun State and an international firm that has implemented similar agro-processing platforms in several African countries, including Benin, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire.
The project has also received federal government support through Nigeria’s ministries responsible for agriculture and industry, with the wider programme aimed at strengthening agro-processing capacity, expanding exports and supporting broader industrial development.
