The Kwara State Government has paid over ₦4 billion as the state’s counterpart fund for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) between 2019 and the present.
Speaking with journalists at the 47th Media Parliament of the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin, the State RAAMP Project Coordinator, Dr Isaac Kolo, said that the released counterpart fund was to assist the state government through RAAMP, a World Bank-assisted project, for the upgrade, rehabilitation, and construction of roads in rural communities.
Kolo also said that the first phase of the project, with a six-year lifespan, has commenced in selected rural areas.
The Media Parliament was themed “Ending Rural-Urban Migration Through Quality Road Infrastructure”.
Kolo, a civil engineer, disclosed that the project was aimed at connecting the 16 local government areas of the state and, in turn, discouraging the tendency for the influx of rural dwellers into urban cities.
RAAMP is funded through contributions of the International Development Association (IDA), a subsidiary of the World Bank, and the L’Agence Francaise de Développement (French Development Agency, AFD) and state governments of each participating state in Nigeria with payment of counterpart funds.
The State Project Coordinator said that the execution of the first phase of the 209.77-kilometre road projects is ongoing in selected rural communities of the three senatorial districts of the state.
He added that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has signed the Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and State Road Fund (SRF) bills into law and approved the immediate constitution of the Boards of the agency for the ongoing rural road projects to stand the test of time through quality maintenance.
Kolo noted that the state government entered into a modest collaboration with the World Bank to make life meaningful for its people and ensure that nobody’s future is mortgaged as a result of implementing the project in the state.
He stated that the ongoing project has created job opportunities for people in rural communities with the engagement of the services of over 400 enumerators to ease the agency’s job.
The Project Coordinator spoke of the plan of the agency to construct three agro-logistics centres in Alapa (Kwara Central), Ajase-Ipo (Kwara South), and Kaiama (Kwara North), and would be upgraded to international standards.
Kolo said, “RAAMP, a six-year programme, was formally declared effective on March 16, 2021. It was co-financed by the World Bank, with the aim of improving rural access and trading infrastructure in participating states. On assumption of office in 2019, the Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq-led administration had immediately paid the first tranche of the counterpart fund.
“Between 2019 and now, the government has paid the sum of four billion, twenty-six million, eight hundred, and ninety-one thousand Naira (₦4,026,891,000) as a counterpart fund. Initially, 13 states started the programme and were later joined by 6 other states to make the present 19 beneficiary states.
“To end rural-urban migration through quality road infrastructure, it would be recalled that, on Monday, 21st October, 2024, Kwara RAAMP flagged off the construction, rehabilitation, and upgrade of rural roads totalling 209.77 km, as the upgrade of rural roads of the 209.77 km is connecting the 16 local government areas is the fruit of huge investment, strategic planning, commitments to rural-urban development and food security. It is a strong drive for rapid socio-economic growth and sustainable job opportunities.
“The ongoing construction works were carried out in phases, for which the first phase of the road projects already under construction began with the backlog maintenance/rehabilitation of rural roads of 66.5 km in Asa, Ilorin West/East, Oyun, and Edu Local Government Areas of the State, and the benefiting communities under these local governments are Mondala-Yowere-Agbonna 12.485 km; Gerewu-Eiyekorin-Okolowo Express 3.069 km; Panada-Oloro, 5.428 km; Inaja-Alaro-Inaja Maliki, 6.215 km, Ijagbo-Aperun-Adeleke-Igbawere 6.85 km; Kpandarako-Ginda-Kusomunu-Kachitako, Tsakpata Lealea-Gulufu-Bacita, 22.89 km; and Lafiagi-Effagi-Putata Road, 9.525 km; totalling 66.46 km.
“Meanwhile, the upgrading of rural roads of 18.2 km in Asa Local Government, Alapa–Hoko 0.7 km, Madi–Peeke 17.5 km, totalling 18.2 km altogether.”
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