CALABAR: The Federal Government has disclosed her plans to expand the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) to 36 states across the nation.
RAAMP’s National Project Coordinator, Aminu Mohammed, made the announcement during the agency’s annual retreat and staff training in Calabar, Cross River State which spanned from 11 to 13 January, 2023.
RAAMP’s goal is to provide access roads to rural areas to facilitate agricultural marketing. Mr. Mohammed said the project should be extended to all provinces as RAAMP is poised to have a noticeable impact across the country.
He welcomed the increase in the number of participating states to 20 and said achievements at Cross River and Kaduna have paved the way for its growth since the project began in 2008.
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He called on participating countries to become more actively involved in project implementation in order to make more funds available for the development of rural road infrastructure.
“Some state project coordinators are doing very well. Everyone has to work together to achieve the project goals.
“We like to take projects step by step and bring in technology and implement it because we believe that with technology, we can achieve more,” he said.
Governor Ben Ayade urged project staff to prioritize national interests over ethnic, religious and political interests in carrying out their tasks.
The governor was represented by Dr. Yingyang Asibong, the Commissioner for International Donor Cooperation.
Ayade described RAAMP as a multi-dimensional project that can positively change lives, especially those of rural residents.
He pledged to continue to support his RAAMP vision of making life more meaningful for rural people across the country. Also present, was the Head of World Bank task team, Olatunji Ahmed, who allayed concerns about challenges that could hinder the smooth running of the project.
He assured employees of the bank’s willingness to ensure a smooth implementation process.
