Arrangement is being concluding on upgrading the status of Ogun State Economic Transformation Project World Bank funded agricultural programe initiative known as Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investments (FRILIA), a unit within OGSTEP, to a Land Management Agency, with the objectives of ensuring responsible land governance and sustainable investments in agricultural sector
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Bolu Owotomo, the State Solicitor-General , Mr. Segun Olaotan and FRILIA Specialist, Oladipupo Sofowora made this known in their separate speeches on Tuesday during Stakeholders Review Workshop On Implementation Of FRILIA In Ogun State held at Obas' Complex, Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta, the State capital
They said the agency when established would ensure protection of interests of investors, host communities and that of government in the management and allocation of land for agricultural investments in the state
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye described the bill as a significant step in establishing a legal foundation for responsible and inclusive land governance in Ogun State.
Enactment of the bill according to him,
will reinforce Ogun State’s leadership in land governance and serve as a model for other regions in Nigeria.
He added that the transformation of FRILIA to a Land Management Agency would ensure proper coordination of the land -use policies as well as sustainable, and responsible agricultural development in the State
"This transformation to a Land Management Agency will improve inter-agency coordination, align land-use policies, and embed FRILIA’s principles across all relevant sectors of government.Ultimately, FRILIA is more than a policy framework—it is a transformative movement driving inclusive, sustainable, and responsible agricultural development in Ogun State", he stated
Owotomo addressing stakeholders, says FRILIA is a key initiative under the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), supported by the World Bank, to promote sustainable land management practices that balance economic growth with social equity and environmental stewardship.
He stated FRILIA initiative had successfully addressed the
longstanding challenges in land acquisition, use, and investment transparency, through a comprehensive audit of over 62,000 hectares of government-acquired agricultural land, saying it established a robust baseline for strategic land-use decisions.
"The initiative has introduced transparency and accountability into land allocation. Over 4,000 hectares have been allocated transparently to agrifood investors using compliance tools and structured evaluation frameworks"
"To ensure long-term sustainability, FRILIA has developed specialized toolkits to support responsible and inclusive land investments, including an Environmental and Social Risk Management Toolkit, a Grievance Redress Mechanism, and frameworks for Resettlement, Valuation, and Compensation", he maintained
Similarly the State Solicitor-General who was represented by Mr. Bankole Mafe gave further insight into the bill with emphasis on operational framework of the proposed Land Management Agency, said Director General shall be appointed by the governor to run the affairs of the agency under board which has the State Commissioner for Agriculture as automatic Chairman of the board which has representatives of relevant stakeholders as members in addition to the office of a Legal Adviser to the agency
He added that the State Commissioner would provide additional regulations for the agencies through formulation of policies to serve as further guidelines and direction for the proposed agency in ensuring a more effective land management for agriculture purposes
Equally FRILIA Specialist, Sofowora in his presentation on the over view of the policy initiative has ensure trust and confident of investors in the allocation and management of government acquired lands for investment in agricultural sector in the state while protecting the interests of respective host communities who enjoyed various basic social amenities projects executed by investors or business organizations in such communities
In his keynote address at the workshop, the OGSTEP Project Technical Committee Chairman and State Budget and Planning Commissioner, Mr. Olaolu Olabimtan also reinforced the importance of FRILIA initiative in the management and allocation of government acquired lands for agricultural investment which according to him, has greatly minimized the usual challenges of allocating lands to investors in communities across the state
He added that the transparency in the process of land allocation through the mechanism of FRILIA has further strengthened the confidence of investors and host communities, thus creating conducive environments for investments in agriculture
Also speaking on "Responsible Land-Based Agricultural Investment: Global Perspective, the World Bank FRILIA Expert , Darryl Vhugen lauded the smooth implementation of the initiative in Ogun which he described as trail blazer in Nigeria
He stressed the need to ensure sustenance the principles of transparency in the management and allocation of lands for agricultural investments , saying such good working relationship among stakeholders would attract more investment and create more jobs opportunities within the agric-value chain for teeming youth population in the country
The State House of Assembly Committee Chairman on Agriculture, Hon. Ifedolapo Owode assured stakeholders at the event of the readiness of the lawmakers to receive the bill and give it accelerated hearing and passage in the interest of the State and development of agricultural sector
The State Commissioner for Industry Trade and Investment, Adebola Sofela was represented by the ministry Director of Planning and Research, Mrs . Florence Olugbenro while the OGSTEP Project Co-ordinator, Mrs Mosun Owo-Odusi was represented by Agric Project Manager, Mrs. Oluseyi Olugbire
The event attracted investors in Agri- business , the traditional rulers amongst other stakeholders
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