Kwara Residents Urged To Take Ownership of Projects Amid Investment of N4.6bn In RAAMP

By Kayode Abdul

Kwara State Coordinator of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) Dr. Isaac Kolo has urged the people of the state to take ownership of the roads projects ongoing across the rural communities.

Dr. Kolo made the appeal during an interaction session with Journalists at the 47th Kwara NUJ Media Engagement in Ilorin on Monday on the theme “Ending Rural/Urban Migration Through Quality Road Infrastructure.”

He disclosed that the present administration led by Governor Abdulrahman abdulrazaq is determined to open up many rural communities for commercial activities and this necessitated the payment of over N4.6 billion naira as counterpart funds under the RAAMP projects.

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“The State Government has invested over N4.6 billion as counterpart funding for the construction of 209.77 kilometers of rural roads across the 16 local government areas, aiming to improve connectivity and reduce rural-urban migration.

“The first phase of the project will cover 66.5 kilometers of roads in Asa, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Oyun, and Edu local government areas. Additionally, 39.6 kilometers of roads will be constructed in Baruten, a border community with the Republic of Benin.

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“The construction of these rural roads is expected to be completed next year. Once completed, they will not only open up rural communities but also help tackle migration, reduce crime, and boost economic activities.

“We urged residents to take ownership of all these projects and report any issues to the government for prompt action.”

Dr. Kolo further disclosed that agro-logistics hubs would also be established to upgrade market infrastructure across the three senatorial districts as part of ensuring that rural farmers have easy access to markets to sell their produce.

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Earlier in his open remarks the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State Council, Comrade Ahmed Abdullateef, emphasized the role of the media in keeping the public informed about government policies and ensuring accountability.

“The theme of this media parliament is timely, given the widespread road dilapidation across the country. It is crucial that the media continues to play its role in advocacy and public enlightenment.”