Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Friday inaugurated a 10-member Steering Committee to implement the Framework for Responsible Investment in Land-Intensive Agriculture (FRILIA) programme.
FRILIA is a $750 million World Bank–assisted programme designed to boost agricultural development in the state, subject to effective implementation and compliance with agreed benchmarks.
The inauguration, held in Asaba, the state capital, was performed by the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, who also serves as Chairman of the Steering Committee, on behalf of the governor.
Oborevwori said the FRILIA programme was conceptualised to promote ease of doing business in Delta State, noting that agricultural development remains a key priority of the Federal Government.
According to him, the committee’s terms of reference include promoting transparency in land acquisition and resettlement processes for large-scale agribusiness investments.
Other responsibilities, he said, include promoting inclusive agricultural and production models; safeguarding tenure rights holders against dispossession; monitoring the application of compensation standards; and ensuring environmental sustainability in the utilisation of land for agribusiness investments.
The governor also inaugurated a 20-member Technical Committee to provide expert and technical support to the Steering Committee.
In addition, a six-member Grievance and Redress Committee, comprising experts in land administration and allocation, was inaugurated to complement the work of the committees.
“This committee is to address complaints and disputes that may arise during the process of land acquisition and allocation for agribusiness investments,” Oborevwori said.
In separate remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Val Areyinka, and the Director-General of the Delta State Investment Development Agency, Mr Anthony Elekeokuri, explained that the FRILIA programme would only be accessible to the state upon effective implementation.
They noted that the World Bank facility is a performance-based financial support scheme, disbursed only after the state meets clearly defined benchmarks set by development partners.
