Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije who represented Governor Sheriff Oborevwori (4th right); flanked by the Director General, Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu (6th left); Director-General (DG), Delta State Investment Development Agency (DIDA), Hon. Anthony Emeka Elekeokwuri (5th left); Commissioner for Physical Planning, Hon. Sunny Tatabuzogwu (4th left); Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari (right); and other stakeholders, during a national town hall and state engagement meeting organized by the Council in Asaba on Friday.
ASABA/Nigeria: The Delta State Government has intensified efforts to attract local and foreign investments, unveiling a series of business-friendly reforms aimed at creating a more competitive investment climate and strengthening partnerships with the private sector to accelerate economic growth.
The renewed investment drive took centre stage on Saturday at a town hall meeting in Asaba organised by the Delta State Government in collaboration with the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), bringing together key players in the organised private sector to assess ongoing reforms and identify strategies for improving the ease of doing business in the state.
Speaking at the forum on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the Commissioner for Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije, said the administration has undertaken comprehensive reforms designed to eliminate bureaucratic bottlenecks, improve regulatory efficiency and position Delta as one of Nigeria’s most attractive destinations for investment.
He said the reforms span critical sectors, including land administration, investment facilitation, public-private partnerships, revenue administration, security and commercial dispute resolution, creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive.
Tilije disclosed that the government has completed the digital indexing and archiving of Certificates of Occupancy issued between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2024, a move expected to improve transparency, speed up land transactions and boost investor confidence.
He further revealed that the state has institutionalised the Framework for Responsible and Inclusive Land-Intensive Agricultural Investment (FRILIA) through an Executive Order and automated its central billing platform for taxes, levies and other government collections across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to enhance efficiency and accountability.
According to him, the state has also strengthened its legal and institutional framework by implementing the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping Law, 2016, while establishing Small Claims Courts to ensure commercial disputes are resolved within 60 days, thereby reducing litigation delays that often discourage investment.
“The objective of these reforms is to build a transparent, predictable and investor-friendly business environment where businesses can operate with confidence. Delta remains peaceful, secure and open for investment,” Tilije said, urging investors to take advantage of the state’s vast opportunities in agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, solid minerals, technology and other productive sectors.
In her remarks, the Director-General of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), Princess Zahra Mustapha Audu, underscored the strategic role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in driving economic growth, employment and innovation across the country.
She explained that the nationwide town hall engagements were designed to deepen business environment reforms at the sub-national level by creating a platform for direct interaction between governments and the organised private sector.
Audu also highlighted the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER) programme, describing it as a performance-based initiative that links access to funding with measurable improvements in land administration, tax systems, regulatory efficiency and other indicators that enhance the ease of doing business.
The meeting attracted representatives of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), financial institutions, development partners and other business stakeholders, who commended the engagement as an important platform for strengthening public-private collaboration and promoting sustainable economic development in the state.
