Makinde Unveils Plans To Construct, Open Up 1,000 Kilometres of Rural Roads

Oyo state Governor Seyi Makinde has hinted on plans to construct and rehabilitate about 1,000 kilometres rural and farm roads that would assist in expanding the state economy through a Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

The Governor made this known today while inaugurating the state project monitoring and technical steering committee as well as relaunching of RAAMP in a ceremony held at the government house.

Governor Makinde who doubles as the chairman of the committee, stressed the need to ensure all projects initiated under RAAMP be of quality and stand the test of time while noting that the current post harvest losses being experienced by farmers would be addressed with the RAAMP initiative.

Earlier, the project coordinator Dr. Yode-Moses Ayanlowo explained that the vision of the project was to enhance productive capacity, facilitate rapid rural development, improve rural transport infrastructure linking with agro logistics hubs that would result in economic and social development.

Also, in a keynote address, the commissioner for agriculture and Vice chairman, administration for the committee, Hon Ojemuyiwa Ojekunle said the relaunching of RAAMP is an indication of the current administration’s committee to the agricultural sector, adding that the initiative would encourage more investment in agricbusiness and alleviate poverty for rural dwellers

The RAAMP initiative is a federal government sponsored project under donor agencies such as World Bank, French Development Bank, AfDB with a 12% counterpart fund from interested states and a seven year life cycle