World Bank earmarks $520m for rural roads
The World Bank has earmarked five hundred and twenty million dollars for rural roads infrastructure across selected states in the country.
This was disclosed yesterday by the World Bank Country Director for Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project ( RAAMP ), Engineer Tunji Ahmed during a courtesy visit to Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed at Government House Ilorin.
According to Engr Ahmed, the project was sponsored by the World Bank, French Development Bank and Africa Development Bank to provide suitable road network for rural farmers to convey their farm produce to the market and avoid losses arising from wastages during transportation.
The World Bank Country Director noted that twenty-five per cent of farm produce are lost as a result of lack of access to markets occasioned by bad roads, adding that RAAMP would improve rural access, agricultural marketing and open up rural areas in the selected participating states.
Responding, the Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed identified lack of good road network as an impediment to the movement of farm produce to the market for final consumers, thereby leading to wastages.
Dr Ahmed commended President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government for diversifying the economy through unpredented commitment to agriculture.
The governor said the decision by the state government to present proposal for the World Bank’s Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project was to create connectivity in moving farm produce to the market, promising that the state government has made provision for counterpart fund to enable it access the facility.
