Twelve years after it was conceived, the Ekiti Knowledge Zone (EKZ) will begin construction in the third quarter of 2026, ending a protracted journey marked by political discontinuity, shifting global trends, pandemic-driven pivots, and drawn-out talks for international funding.
The $80 million AfDB-backed project, now spearheaded by the Ekiti State Development and Investments Promotion Agency, will open its tender process within the next two months—a process expected to take at least six months before construction can commence. For Ekiti State officials, the moment represents both vindication and a cautionary tale about the need for policy continuity in governance.
A truncated beginning
Akin Oyebode, Ekiti’s Commissioner for Finance, has a personal connection to EKZ’s origins. His father was among those who helped draft the original blueprint in 2013, during the administration of Governor Kayode Fayemi. At the time, the plan mirrored Dubai’s Education City, a hub for global universities to set up African outposts, enabling students to access world-class education locally. Oyebode was part of a team that visited Dubai Education City and came back to attempt to recreate it in Ekiti.
But a year later, Fayemi left office. His successor, Ayodele Fayose, had no interest in the project, according to Oyebode. For four years, the EKZ, alongside other strategic initiatives like the state’s airport and broadband rollout, stalled completely.
“We paid a price for a truncation of vision,” Oyebode told TechCabal. “Those four years were wasted. The importance of continuity when you’re on the right track cannot be overstated.”
From education hub to tech economy
When Oyebode joined the government in 2019 as Special Adviser on Industry, Trade, and Investment, the EKZ project was revived. But the pandemic upended its original premise. With universities shifting to virtual delivery, the appetite for physical African campuses evaporated.
By late 2020, the vision had pivoted from an education-centric model to a business-driven technology hub—an ecosystem where business process outsourcing, software development, and innovation clusters could thrive.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) approved $80 million in financing in 2022, and Nigeria’s Export Processing Zone Authority designated EKZ as a special economic zone. Federal Executive Council and National Assembly approvals followed, with the loan becoming effective in 2024.
Since then, the state has conducted a year-long environmental and social impact assessment and completed a resettlement action plan for landowners on the 208-hectare site. Compensation payments were made in June 2025, clearing the land for development.
Hard and soft infrastructure
The EKZ will not be just a set of buildings. The AfDB-backed plan integrates “hard” components, office spaces, housing, and innovation labs, with “soft” components such as a venture fund for Ekiti entrepreneurs, and a network of centres of excellence in local universities to supply a digitally skilled workforce.
Oyebode stresses that talent is central to the zone’s success. “For businesses to come and take up space there, there must be access to talent,” he said. These centres will enable students to earn digital certifications alongside their main degrees, making them competitive in the gig economy.
Private sector interest has been strong. At least 13 companies, including fintechs, commercial banks, and a major telecom operator, have expressed interest in locating back-office and support operations in the zone. The lower cost of living in Ekiti, coupled with planned investments in reliable power and broadband, are key attractions.
Initial employment targets aim for 10,000 jobs, phased from 500 in the pilot stage to full capacity as the zone matures.
Avoiding the Tinapa trap
Ekiti’s leaders are determined not to repeat the fate of Tinapa, the stalled Cross River State free trade resort. Instead, they are modelling governance and financing after successful projects like Lagos’ Lekki Free Trade Zone.
A special-purpose vehicle, Ekiti EKZ Limited, has been incorporated to own the zone. The state will be a minority shareholder, with private investors, including the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, expected to hold majority stakes and operational control.
“This zone will not be state-run,” Oyebode noted. “Our role will be policy enablement, not day-to-day management.”
Building a knowledge-driven economy
The EKZ is a passion project for most officials of the Ekiti government. Seun Fakuade, Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Digital Economy, for instance, views the EKZ as more than just a construction project. It is the anchor for transforming Ekiti’s long-standing reputation as Nigeria’s “fountain of knowledge” into a globally competitive, export-driven talent economy.
“Human capital is the raw material,” Fakuade explains. “From primary school through lifelong learning, we are mainstreaming future-of-work skills—robotics, coding, data science—so our people can compete anywhere in the world.”
The first phase will develop 20 hectares, including offices, learning spaces, “innovation ports” for product prototyping, and residential units for visiting professionals. Research and development in agriculture and life sciences will be early focus areas, leveraging proximity to the state’s teaching hospital and agricultural base.
Fakuade envisions the zone as a high-innovation district with continuous feedback loops between academia and industry, avoiding the disconnect that often leaves Nigerian graduates with skills mismatched to market needs.
Complementary investments
The EKZ site sits opposite the state’s recently completed airport, a deliberate strategy to enhance investor accessibility. The state is also planning a two-year project to build a fibre-optic ring connecting government institutions, schools, and healthcare facilities.
Oyebode frames these as interconnected investments. “When international investors come to Nigeria, they don’t travel by road,” he notes. “An airport is a necessary condition. Broadband is the next priority.”
Tourism and wellness are also part of the vision. Ekiti’s natural attractions, such as the Ikogosi warm springs, are being developed into complementary lifestyle and wellness destinations, offering tech professionals a balance between work and quality of life.
A long road, but a clear path
From its 2013 blueprint to its planned 2026 groundbreaking, EKZ’s 12-year journey illustrates the complexity of executing large-scale innovation infrastructure in Nigeria. Funding hurdles, leadership changes, global disruptions, and the demands of environmental and social compliance have each added years to the timeline.
Yet both Oyebode and Fakuade see the drawn-out process as part of building something durable. “Governance is a marathon, not a sprint,” Oyebode says. “You must stay the course, but also be willing to course-correct when conditions change.”
With $80 million in anchor financing, a governance model designed to attract and empower private operators, and a strong talent-development pipeline, Ekiti’s leaders believe the EKZ can become a national model for knowledge-driven economic growth.
“This is not just about one site,” Fakuade says. “In 40 years, I hope future governors will replicate the concept across the state. The goal is simple—create products, create businesses, solve problems, and make money for our people.”
If the timelines hold, earthmovers will roll onto the site in mid-2026, and Ekiti will take a decisive step from being Nigeria’s “fountain of knowledge” to one of its most ambitious innovation hubs.
Akin Oyebode and Seun Fakuade were among the 14 commissioners removed in a cabinet reshuffle on Sunday, August 10.
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