By Dianabasi Effiong
Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state on Thursday in Asaba inaugurated a 10-man Steering Committee on the Framework for Responsible Investment in Land-Intensive Agriculture (FRILIA).
The committee was inaugurated on behalf of the Governor by the Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme, who also serves as the Chairman of the Committee,.
Oborevwori said that FRILIA was conceptualised to facilitate ease of doing business in the State.
According to him, agricultural development remains a key priority of the Federal Government.
Presenting the eight-point Terms of Reference for the committee, the Governor charged members of the committee to promote transparency in land acquisition and resettlement for large-scale agribusiness investment.
He also urged them to promote the application of inclusive agriculture, including agricultural production models, promotion, and safeguarding measures against dispossession of tenure rights holders.
He also charged them to “monitor the application of compensation standards and promote environmental sustainability in the utilisation of land for agri-business investment.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Val Areyinka, and the Director-General, Delta State Investment Development Agency, Anthony Elekeokuri, said that FRILIA was a $750 million World Bank-assisted programme available to the state for effective implementation.
According to them, the World Bank facility is a performance-based financial support scheme that can only be accessed upon meeting clearly defined benchmarks set by development partners.
Also inaugurated was a 20-member Technical Committee to provide expert and technical support to the Steering Committee.
Similarly, a six-member Grievance and Redress Committee, comprising experts in land administration and allocation, was inaugurated to address complaints and disputes that may arise in the process of land acquisition and allocation for agribusiness investments.
