Delta Govt Urges Investors to Exploit Improved Ease-of-Doing-Business Environment

The Delta State Government has announced substantial reforms aimed at enhancing the ease of doing business, urging both local and foreign investors to capitalize on the state's vast investment opportunities. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, represented by the State Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije, highlighted these improvements during a town hall meeting in Asaba.

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The Oborevwori administration has implemented far-reaching reforms to improve the ease of doing business in the state.

The implemented reforms span critical areas including land administration, investment facilitation, public-private partnerships, revenue administration, security, and dispute resolution. Key initiatives include the digital indexing and archiving of Certificates of Occupancy issued between 2012 and 2024 to streamline land administration. Additionally, an Executive Order has been issued to institutionalize the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investment (FRILIA), and a central billing system for taxes and government collections has been automated.

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The reforms cover key areas such as land administration, investment facilitation, public-private partnerships, revenue administration, security, and dispute resolution.

Tilije further noted the strengthening of the legal framework through the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping Law, 2016, and the establishment of Small Claims Courts to expedite commercial dispute resolutions within 60 days. These measures are designed to foster a more transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly business climate, assuring potential investors of Delta State's peace and security.

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The reforms were designed to create a more transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly business environment, assuring prospective investors that Delta State is peaceful, secure, and ready for investment.

Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu, Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), emphasized the vital role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in economic development. She noted that nationwide town hall engagements, like the one in Delta State, aim to bolster ease of doing business at the sub-national level and promote reforms that make states more attractive to investors. The State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) program, which links state funding to measurable improvements in land, regulatory, and tax administration, was also highlighted.

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The nation-wide town hall engagements were aimed at strengthening the ease of doing business at the sub-national level while promoting reforms that would make states more attractive to investors.