Steven Numbeve is the current State Project coordinator of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Projects (RAAMP) in Benue State. He had his university education at the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at same university. Numbeve is a professional Mathematician with over a decade of experience in the banking industry. He is a former manager of Mortgage Bank, and agriculturalist. In this interview with BENJAMIN AGESAN, BusinessDay’s correspondent, he spoke on commercialisation of Agriculture, marketing of agricultural produce as well as economic issues in Nigeria. He also touched on government’s efforts at tackling insecurity and returning the state to its ‘food basket’ status. Excerpts:
Briefly give us an insight into what RAAMP is all about?
Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) came into place in Nigeria with the mandate to elicit agricultural marketing using rural roads constructions as a major component that will ease transportation to the respective markets. In essence, the project targets commercialisation of agricultural products at strategic market locations of the hinterlands that will coordinate farmers produce to the market.
Part of the mandate include, spots improvements, construction of bridges and culverts, building of stores and warehouses, establishment of internet services/trainings of youth and women for exposure to international trade and export orientation, job creation for the women and youth, provision of water via solar powered boreholes etc.
RAAMP is indeed the brainchild of the World Bank, European Investment Bank, The French Development Agency and African Development Bank in conjunction with the federal government via the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development targeted at promoting commercialization of agricultural produce in line with global perspectives.
The project is particularly manned with supervision from the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with other relevant supervisions coming from donor partners.
RAAMP as a project came into Nigeria in different phases but the Benue State government was able to key into the third phase of the project in 2016 with four other states including Cross-River, Anambra, Taraba and Gombe. The administration of President Mohammadu Buhari laid the foundation for the third phase which the Benue State government, under Samuel Ortom, obliged by paying the sum of 1.5 billion naira as counterpart fund to complement donor expected funding to the state.
Unfortunately, none of the donor partners had indicated interest at that time until December, 2023 when the Benue State government through her new State Project Coordinator, Stephen Sefa Numbeve, was invited for a deal by the European Investment Bank in Abuja.
The third phase of the project started in 2016 with little remedial responses under the Directorate of Engineering at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. With this development, the succeeding Directors managed the project but without success hence was not funded at that time.
By 2018, the Benue State government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security conducted interviews for successful members of the State Project Management Team (PMT) made of the State Project Coordinator, the Project Accountant, Infrastructural Engineer, Project Procurement Specialist, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Gender Specialist, Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist, Management Information System Specialist and Development Communication Specialist with other support staff enlisted for take-off of the project.
By 2019-2020 (March-August 2020), work had started in earnest with preliminary sensitization of the project content involving critical stakeholders within the state to galvanize support and participation amongst actors in the agribusiness.
What was your level of advocacy since the project is new?
A visit to the office of the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly became imperative with additional advocacies to the Hon. Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives, that of Works, Transport and Energy including the Director, State Service.
The idea was to generate support from the legislative wing for a bill to establish the State Road Fund (SRF) and the Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) that can be used in generating revenue from the prospective sources and maintaining same through the Agency for durability of roads constructed. The affected ministries were also viewed as relevant partners that can collaborate the success story not forgetting the security formations as protective mechanisms for the execution of the project.
The advocacy was extended to the Commandant, Nigeria Army School of Military Engineering (NASME) to seek partnership with this profiled engineering institute for a robust infrastructural development-drive, the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi for her rich research based platform, and the Vice-Chancellor of Benue State University including the Director, Center for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER) that will be useful to our numerous consultants on food production and export.
How deep were your sensitisation processes?
Our sensitizations processes include visits to key media outlets in the state like the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Harvest FM, Benue Printing and Publishing Company (The Voice Newspaper), Radio Benue, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in addition to interfacing with Local Government Council Chairmen on providing grass root mobilization and ownership control of project.
Share with us your take off and and real operations?
The moment also witnessed procurement of three new official vehicles and office equipment necessary for smooth take off of the project pending donor partnership engagement. In the desire to replicate the project activities in line with best practices, four new roads were identified as pilot projects in selected local government areas of Guma, Gwer West and Oju local government respectively. The first, was the 30km road from Tomatar-Tomanyiin-Ormeagh-Akor-Iordye road in Guma local government.
The second was the 11.5km spot improvement from Yogbo junction-Tse-Ikyum Kpev-TseYogbo village in Gwer West local government with another 16.5km road from Nagi Camp-Enger-TseAdudu-Agbu City village as the third respectively.
The fourth was the 26km spot improvement at Ojegba-Ukpila-IIega-Oboro Oho market square with a spur to Ukpila-P-Ohuhu-Owo federal road junction in Oju local government area.
Of the four roads, only the 30km road from Tomatar-Tom Anyiin-Ormeagh-Akor-Iordye road was completed. The other three roads suffered logistic and administrative problems with the former Project Coordinator and as such have been pending deliberations and renegotiation with the new Project Coordinator.
Kindly highlight some of your activities?
On assumption of duty, close mid-year of 2023, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia in his renewed leadership dynamics and passion to repositioning the hinterlands of Benue beamed a search light on the project by changing the leadership. The Governor immediately replaced the former Project Coordinator, Engr. Mone Aernyi, with Stephen Sefa Numbeve to turn around the fortunes of the organization.
In view of the foregoing, the State Project Coordinator, Stephen Sefa Numbeve, resumed office in December 2023 to take over from his predecessor, Engr. Mone Moses Aernyi. Part of his mandate was to ensure he deploys his administrative arsenals, necessary, to reposition the project to world class standard.
As the Industrial Mathematician cum Computer Scientist of International assent and World Bank acceptability, I set the ball rolling by calling for an emergency meeting of staff to articulate his vision and mission content. He hurriedly succeeded in recalling some of the tested bureaucrats that were sidelined on the project out of dogma proclivities and primitive egocentrics of the former Project Coordinator.
I immediately harvested the management team on tour of all pilot projects including selection of new rural roads of agro logistics significance. He also engaged the French Development Agency on intending construction of 2-No warehouses in each geopolitical zones of Benue State for post-harvest losses control of fresh meats, vegetables and citruses.
Before then, I had engaged the European Investment Bank for the construction of 500km network of roads across the rural areas of the state including culverts, bridges, stores and warehouses. Others include, provision of potable water, installation of ICT centers to expose youth on internet transactions to stimulate international trade and export orientation.
I also engaged Viable Consultants Nig. Ltd. as consultant for the design of 534kms network of roads the state is partnering with the European Investment Bank to provide farmers access to markets when fully constructed.
In addition to this are his efforts to collaborate the state government position to oblige by the conditions of the World Bank in providing for a law establishing the State Road Funds (SRF) and the Rural Access Roads Agency (RARA) as preconditions for securing funds for the construction of additional 500km network of rural roads in the State.
As a prerequisite to securing this partnership, the state government has initiated a bill seeking for a law to establish the State Roads Funds (SRF) that will generate funds from the prospective road users to finance the maintenance and rehabilitation of the affected roads in addition to a law seeking for the establishment of Rural Access Roads Agency (RARA). RARA is to be headed by a Director-General to foresee the management of the affected roads at the expiration of the project using the accumulated funds generated by SRF.
In the first quarter of 2024, I constituted an Engineering team to supervise the design of 300km network of roads across the selected local government areas of the state carried out by Viable Consultants Nig. Ltd. It is interesting to note that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, graciously directed that the 23-local areas of the state should benefit from this exercise for purposes of promoting agriculture in the state. In compliance to this directive, the State Project Coordinator has ensured that every local government area benefits from this.
Correspondingly, is the design and supervision of additional 200kms network of roads by July, 2024 to make up the 500-km in line with World Bank directives.
What are some of your achievements in the last two years?
Infrastructure Development; I have successfully completed the construction of critical culverts in LGAs such as Vandeikya, Gboko, Otukpo, and Konshisha. Notably, the River Ushadaa Bridge in Mbangur-Mbadede, Vandeikya, has been completed. Other completed culverts include the box culvert at Ukyaagu, beside Ukyaagu Clinic in Vandeikya Township completed, another one opposite the Sub-Treasury, Iornenge also completed, a two-cell box culvert at River Atum, all in Vandeikya LGA; a two-cell box culvert at Ukpede Stream, Mbatser in Konshisha LGA also completed and ready for usage; and a single-cell box culvert at Uerku-Mba-Anku in Gboko LGA. Meanwhile, construction work on two culverts is ongoing in Otukpo LGA, with multiple culvert projects underway across various communities in the state.
Rural Road Expansion: Surveyed and designed work for 57 roads totaling over 534 km of rural roads, spanning all 23 LGAs, have been completed, laying the groundwork for greater market access and connectivity for remote communities.
On institutional strengthening, the SPIU office has been remodeled into a modern workspace; a utility vehicle has been procured to boost staff mobility and monitoring efficiency; a solar powerhouse has been constructed to ensure uninterrupted power supply, enhancing operational efficiency, and BN-RAAMP now boasts a world-class conference facility to host planning sessions, stakeholder meetings, and trainings.
We have also carried out a number of farmer support initiatives. Plans are underway to procure 2,000 motorcycles, 2,000 tricycles, and 3,000 mini-buses for farmers at subsidized rates, reducing post-harvest losses and improving market access.
Community Welfare: Two motorized boreholes have been installed at the RAAMP office with public access points, easing water scarcity for nearby communities. Another has been sunk at Diiv Market Square, Shangev-Tiev, Konshisha LGA to address the perennial water scarcity in the community.
All of these would not have been possible without His Excellency’s commitment, particularly the timely release of ₦1.5 billion as counterpart funding, which unlocked access to critical financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and RAAMP Scale-Up.
As we look back with pride and hope, I extend warm congratulations to Governor Alia on behalf of the entire BN-RAAMP team. His leadership continues to inspire and uplift, and we remain firmly committed to supporting his vision for a transformed, self-reliant, and prosperous Benue State.
What are your challenges so far?
None of the donor partners indicated interest in supporting the project until after some years with serious interventions, this has delayed our activities so much leaving us behind other states.
The second serious challenge is insecurity, hence Agricultural activities cannot be carried out in many communities that have been sacked by armed herdsmen, the high aim has been affected.
Insecurity has affected most projects which include, sports improvements, construction of bridges and culverts, building of stores and warehouses, establishment of internet services/trainings of youth and women for exposure to international trade and export orientation, job creation for the women and youth, provision of water via solar powered boreholes, etc.
