Food: FG, World Bank Votes $600m For Rural Roads Expansion

ABUJA – IN the bid to upscale food production and access to markets for farmers, the federal government and the World Bank, weekend, disclosed boosting rural roads expansion with allocation of $600 million, under the next phase of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdulahi, disclosed this while explaining why the funds were necessary, based on the need to develop the rural economy and reduce rural-urban migration.

According to Abdullahi, the funding includes $500 million from the World Bank and a $100 million counterpart fund from both federal and state governments.

He also said the RAAMP initiative was in 19 states, adding that the major objective was to ensure the rural economy was supported by concrete and sustainable rural infrastructural facilities that benefits the rural populace, where over 70 per cent of Nigerians live.

He said: “Most of Nigeria’s population resides in rural areas, and agriculture constitutes over 70 per cent of their economic activity. However, the lack of functional rural roads limits their ability to market their produce and sustain their livelihoods.

“This federal component will allow us to intervene in strategic areas of agricultural production that are not prioritised by states due to funding constraints.

“This initiative aligns with the Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, focusing on food security, inclusivity, poverty eradication and job creation.

“It is been implemented in 19 states, and it is a very strong collaboration with the World Bank, and based on what the project has achieved thus far, almost all the states of the federation are asking for onboarding, so they also can benefit from the massive success of this project’s delivery.

‘’But as part of the review, all parties are in agreement that we must include sustainability elements going forward.”

The National Coordinator, RAAMP, Aminu Mohammed, earlier in a remark, pointed out that RAAMP was basically to improve rural road networks and enhance agricultural marketing at that level.