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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Akwa Ibom State government has commended the efforts and visions of the World Bank and the French Development Agency in conceiving the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project and its eventual take-off in the state.
The state commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Offiong Offor, who made the commendations while speaking at the State-wide Stakeholders Consultation and Sensitisation Workshop which held at Ibom Hall,Uyo on the theme “Rural Accessibility and Agro-Logistics: A Panacea for Socio-Economic Growth in Akwa Ibom State”, said the programme would crystalize in the construction of over 500km rural roads, bridges, drainages to boost rural development efforts of the state government
“I commend the World Bank and French Development Agency for their vision in conceiving this programme, which in no distant time would crystalize in the construction of 500km rural roads; construction of bridges and other cross – drainage structures as well as development of markets and agro – logistic centres across the State.
” RAAMP would also galvanize all agricultural value chains, promote their marketing options and provide other ancillary opportunities that would add value to our primary agricultural produce. This would enable our farmers to reduce production cost, maximize profits and above all improve the general condition of lives across our rural communities” the commissioner said.
Offor added that the multiplier effects of RAAMP would ” promote the infrastructural profile of our dear state, reinforce our industrialization potentials, grow agriculture from subsistence to business practice as well as create jobs and wealth for our youths”.
She equally commended the State Project Monitoring Committee, and the State Project Implementation Unit, for their contributions, and lauded the initiatives of the State government in the payment of its counterpart contributions of N832m in 2018 for the take off of the programme
“It must be emphasized that realizing this feat has not been an easy task. The State Government had expressed interest in RAAMP since 2016; got enlisted in 2017 and quickly paid N832 million as counterpart funds in 2018 to accelerate a prompt take-off of the project.
“It is our hope however, that further holdups that were responsible for delaying the project’s effectiveness have now become history so as to guarantee a hitch – free implementation of the project”
The national coordinator of RAAMP. Mr Aminu Mohammed, equally thanked the Akwa Ibom State government for providing the critical infrastructure to make the programme take off in the state.
He said the state has been leading in the provision of counterpart funding among the 13 states currently affiliated to RAAMP..
The national coordinator said that RAAMP is financed by three bodies; the World Bank which provides $270 million, the French Development Agency, $230 million while the state government provides 10% of the amount as a counterpart fund. ENDS
