AKSG restates commitment to support AK-RAAMP for successful project implementation
The Akwa Ibom Government has reiterated its resolve to give maximum support to the Akwa Ibom State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (AK-RAAMP) to ensure successful implementation of the ongoing RAAMP in the state.h-
The commission for agriculture, Dr Offiong Offor, who gave the assurance yesterday when she declared open a weeklong training of enumerators for recording of features along approved RAAMP roads in the state, said the support became necessary as the multiplier effects of the project would further promote the infrastructural profile of the state, reinforce our industrialization potential as well as create jobs and wealth for our youths.
Offor who described the training programme as very important towards the successful implementation of the project, lauded the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, for his foresight in driving sustainable development in the state in partnership with other development institutions.
She commended the World Bank and French Development Agency for their vision in conceiving the programme and expressed optimism that in no distance time, the project would witness the construction of 500km rural roads, bridges and other cross-drainage structures as well as development of markets and agro-logistics centres across the state.
RAAMP will also galvanize all agricultural value chains, promote their marketing options and provide other ancillary opportunities that will add value to our primary agricultural produce. This will enable our farmers to reduce production cost, maximize profits and above all improve the general condition of lives across our rural communities, Offor stated.
She applauded the AK-RAAMP for a job well done and charged the participants to be serious in training and to see the exercise as an investment in knowledge, adding that the state government has provided necessary modalities to guarantee the safety of all the enumerators during their field assignment.
The senior special assistant to the governor on multilateral and donor-funded projects, Mr Ndianabasi Udom, in his remark lauded the AK-RAAMP team for keeping to every detail in the project work plan, noting that the capacity so far demonstrated was evident that the implementation would be successful.
He thanked the state governor for keying into the project which he noted was in the overall interest of the state and its people and urged the participants at the training to see their selection as an opportunity for them to contribute to the successful implementation of the project in the state.
Earlier in his remark, the state coordinator of RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan, thanked the state government for investing in the project, stressing that apart from the various infrastructure which the state stands to benefit from the project, a lot of unemployed youths would also be gainfully employed during and after the project implementation.
He disclosed that the state government has put in place sustainability plans to ensure all-round functionality of the projects to be implemented in the state, assuring that Akwa Ibom will benefit from RAAMP in the areas of access roads to all the rural communities, employment generation as well as knowledge transfer among other things.
He urged the participants at the training to take the training serious so as to justify the state governments huge investment in the project.
