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The federal government supported by the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD) and International Development Association (IDA) have launched a $575 million Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) as part of efforts to open up rural communities and improve agricultural marketing.
The project, an initiative of the FG is aimed at improving rural Access agricultural marketing in 19 participating states while strengthening the financing and institutional base for effective development, maintenance and management of the rural road network.
Speaking, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum in Abuja, said the project is consistent with his developmental vision.
He said the proposed interventions will support pillar 3 of the vision’s strategic framework, adding that the operation also supports two of the top five executive priority areas of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
According to him, the project with a total outlay of $575 million, will be jointly financed by the IDA that is contributing $280 million, and AFD will be contributing $230 million while the government will be contributing $65 million.
Also speaking, World Bank, Country Director, Jean Francois Marteau, said the development aids of the RAAMP is about connecting farmers to markets and giving hope to farmers in Nigeria depends on agriculture, connecting the poor, and also for Nigeria’s potential in casing of moving up the agricultural value chain that as road to shared prosperity for everyone.
“We are very happy to be supporting Nigeria, the Federal Government as well as the States on this.
He said the vision to achieve national programme in this case rural roads and connectivity, which is basically affordable as well and is a real partnership, our financing is a little bit of contribution.
Speakingon behalf of the Governors, Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa explained that 88-85 per cent of all the projects are based in the rural community that are engaged in crop and animal farming.
According to him, whatever will give support to agric and marketing and accessibility in the rural area is welcome by the government and we have given this commitment and will continue to do so and we are happy that all the remaining states will be scale up so that it will cover the remaining part of the country.”
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mahmood Abubakar, welcoming the delegates, said the launching of RAAMP, have demonstrated the opportunity given to states in upgrading their secondary market, RAAMP is aimed at improving rural access and agricultural marketing in all the participating states of the country.
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