World Bank, Ogun train stakeholders in land management

In a move to encourage investment in the agricultural sector, the Ogun State Government has collaborated with the World Bank to provide training in land management for over 65 stakeholders across the state.

The stakeholders are drawn from various ministries and agencies in the state.

The training programme held at Mitros House, Ibara GRA, Abeokuta, was conducted by the International Development Consultancy on Sustainability.

The team leader of IDCS, Kehinde Johnson, said the training on developed toolkits for the Implementation of framework for responsible and inclusive land-intensive agricultural principles in the state was an innovative project that aimed to simplify land management, ensure responsible investment, and promote community development in the state’s agricultural sector.

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Johnson said the state had long been recognised as a strategic hub for attracting agricultural investments, with a focus on crops, aquaculture, livestock, and horticulture.

He said, “When an investor is coming these stakeholders are able to engage and ask relevant questions like what are your plans for community development, what are your plans for resettlement where it is required, what are your plans for compensation, all these toolkits address these areas including environmental sustainability safeguards for the community.

“FRILIA is a World Bank initiative that has been introduced in Kaduna state and Ogun State is the second state in the federation that will be adopting it.

“FRILIA is all about ensuring that there are regulations, policies, and memorandum of understanding to protect investment in the agricultural sector so that when an investor comes in and he knows that there is a framework for him to operate, it becomes easier.”

While declaring the training open, the Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Agriculture, Samuel Adeogun, said the initiative was to help in achieving a seamless implementation of FRILIA.

Speaking during the training, the Project Coordinator of the State Economic Transformation Project, Mosun Owo-Odusi, represented by the Project Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Dr Abiodun Adeeko, emphasised stated that the capacity-building initiative sought to involve everyone in the agricultural investment process.