From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has flagged off the Rinze-Mintibi Madaki Road in collaboration with the Federal Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP).
During the flag-off on Thursday at Rinze, Akwanga Local Government Area of the state, the governor said the project is intended to enhance interconnectivity between the rural and urban centres, as well as facilitate the transportation of agricultural products and other commodities from the remote areas to markets in the urban centres.
‘It is for this reason that we spared no time to embark on the construction of rural roads, among the provision of other infrastructural facilities for socio-economic development,’ he stated.
Daily Sun had reported that governor Sule upon assumption of office had made a statement of commitment to embark on the construction of urban and rural roads in the state aimed at the opening vista of opportunities for socio-economic activities to thrive.
He further said the construction of the road is in recognition of the huge economic potentials that abound in the area, hence the projects will provide the needed enabling environment in harnessing agricultural endowments for the benefit of the people.
Reacting to the challenges faced by farmers, Sule acknowledged the fact that teeming farmers are faced with enormous challenges, including a lack of access to roads, storage and processing facilities among others to enable them to maximise the benefit of their farm produce.
Governor Sule commended the Federal Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development for the laudable initiative, aimed at providing access roads to rural farmers and ensuring the provision of market infrastructural facilities, as well as enhancing financial and technical intervention to farmers.
‘This endeavour will no doubt boost agricultural production for value chain addition,’ he added.
The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project is a World Bank Agricultural Intervention Programme under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, designed to support participating states and local governments.
The governor said he will continue to make frantic efforts through diversification of the sector for socio-economic development, adding that it is for the same reason the government keys into the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP) to achieve the noble objectives.
‘Our effort in this direction has resulted in the mapping out and prioritisation of 966 Kilometres of Road network across the state. Similarly, three (3) markets were also selected from each senatorial zone of the state as Agro-logistic focal points for interventions at the first phase of the project in the state,’ he added.