Over 180million people look forward to RAAMP Project in Nigeria
The gathering was rich and healthy; speeches were brief and direct; while time management by the event organizers was apt and modest. This was the scenario of the official launch of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP at the Banquet Hall – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja by President Muhamadu Buhari on Tuesday, 29 November 2022.
RAAMP is a counterpart project jointly funded by the World Bank, French Development Agency and participant states, while the Federal Government serves as guarantor to ensure the project’s implementation across the country, among other contributions.
Five State Governors – Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe; Hope Uzodima of Imo; Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa; Abubarkar Bagudu of Kebbi; and Babagana Zulum of Bornu state, who stood in for President Buhari. The Deputy Governors of Kwara and Oyo states represented their bosses, while the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof Eno Ibanga represented the Akwa Ibom Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel. The entire 19 states currently participating in the project attended the event either through their governor or another high profile member of the state executive council. The states include: Akwa Ibom, Abia, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Kogi, Katisina, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Kwara, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Niger, Plateau and Sokoto.
In his flag-off address, President Buhari emphasised on the importance of counterpart funds and legislative backing to the project by participant states, adding that his administration’s focus was geared towards ensuring the enrollment of all states across the country in the 575 million dollar project.
Represented by the Bornu State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, the president described the project as very promising, stressing that “the future of over 180 million Nigerians living across various rural communities in the country rest on RAAMP,” hence all stakeholders should consider the project seriously for best results. “On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I hereby flag-off RAAMP to the glory of God and to the benefit of all Nigerians.”
Speaking on behalf of the participating states, Governor Muhammad Yahaya of Gombe State thanked the World Bank, French Development Agency and the Federal Government for facilitating the project, as he called on other states yet to embrace the scheme to key-in promptly, pointing out that about 80 – 85 percent of the country’s population live in the rural areas. He acknowledged the contributions of rural communities to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP through agriculture, among other sectors of the economy and assured preparedness by the states to ensure the success of the project. “It is however important to hit the ground running. Much time has already been spent. Without good roads, there would be no access to basic amenities and life could be very difficult, while sustainability is also very important, as we progress with implementing the project.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammed Abubakar tagged the ceremony as a rebirth of rural roads across the country, adding that it was a demonstration of President Buhari’s commitment to food sufficiency and rural development to benefit of the masses. He pledged the ministry’s commitment to ensuring the standard implementation of the project and urged participant states to be diligent in the implementation process so as to deliver the goods accordingly.
The session featured goodwill messages from the Country Director – World Bank, Mr. Shubham Chaudhuri; the Practice Manager – World Bank (Africa Transport), Jean Francois Marteau; French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs. Emmanuelle Blatmann; and the Country Director – French Development Agency, Xavier Muron.
On his part, the National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Mohammed assured that his team would leave no stone unturned towards ensuring the smooth implementation of the project by participating states, in line with the Project Development Objectives, as he sued for commitment, transparency and standard practices by the respective State Project Implementation Units.
In an interview with newsmen, the Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel, represented by the Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof Eno Ibanga expressed confidence in RAAMP, pointing out that prior to the formal launch of RAAMP, the state’s engagements with representatives of the World Bank and the Federal Project Management Unit were quite promising and indicative of RAAMP as a worthwhile project that all states should embrace.
Prof Ibanga thanked the World Bank and French Development Agency for their vision as well as the State Governor for keying into the project and charged all stakeholders – the political class, policy makers, men, women, youths and the general public to support the project so as to assist in developing the countryside across the state.
Other members of the Akwa Ibom delegation to the event were the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Offiong Offor; the Chairman – State Project Monitoring Committee of RAAMP, Prof Edet Udoh; Special Assistant to the Governor on Multilateral and Donor Projects, Mr. Ndianabasi Udom; the State project Coordinator of RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan and some members of the State Project Implementation Unit, SPIU.
