The Federal Government of Nigeria has consummated a tripartite agreement with the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) to commit an envelope to the tune of $575million for the construction of rural roads across 13 states in the country.
Cumulatively, a total of 53, 730km of rural roads would be constructed before the project, which became effective March last year, terminates in 2026.
Speaking at the close of a two-week “3rd Implementation Support Review Mission” meeting in Abuja, over the weekend, National Coordinator of the Rural Access And Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Engr. Aminu Bodinga Muhammed, said all but one of the 13 states participating had yet to receive the take-off disbursement.
“The initial target of this special rural road intervention is to construct a total number of 5921, summing up to 53,730km to return prosperity to the farmers across strata and gender with youth and women being primary target.
“Ultimately, an elite club of farmers would emerge and a new crop of successful market men and women would take over the business world,” Mohammed stated at the meeting which was attended by task team lead (TTL) for World Bank’s transport sector, Engr. Olatunji Ahmed; AFD’s TTL, Mr. Francois Giroudy; Project Manager for AFD, Mr. Antonio Le Bihan and representative of the project Coordinating unit, Dr. Kush Peter.
The National Coordinator added that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) had expressed readiness to offer both financial and technical assistance to the rural road project, even as he assured that the World Bank would fast track “no objection” for the ILO intent.
In a sideline interview with the World Bank TTL, Engr. Olatunji Ahmed urged the states to comply with disbursement “draw down procedure” to avoid possible backlash.
Ahmed added that dtates should hasten the processes of establishment of the state road fund and the rural access road agency (SRF, RARA), schooling that their formation would ensure the institutional and financial strengthening of the project, especially after completion.
In his presentation at the meeting, the Ogun State Project Coordinator, Engr. Muritala Adekunle, said the milestones achieved by the project was made possible by the support which cascaded from the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to the least stakeholders in the value chain.
He said the Mosa juncture-Alapako Oni 13.1km demonstration rural road would be awarded at the start of dry season this year, just as he enthused that “all safeguard instruments both social and environmental have been put in place for the success of the pilot construction.”
Adekunle said nine markets would be intervened on out of the twelve proposed to the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU), just as he appealed to the Bank to expedite action on proposals requiring the granting of “no objection.”