Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara state has flagged off the construction of $60m Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing projects, RAAMP intervention road projects in Kwara State.
Governor Abdulrazaq, who was represented at the event by his deputy, Kayode Alabi, noted that he had paid the N400 million counterpart fund to attract the intervention of RAAMP in the state.
According to him, the government cannot lay claim to promote food security or seek investment into the state when the roads are in bad shape adding that this was his reason committed the huge resources into seeking partnership with international agencies.
“Our administration has so far paid N400m counterpart fund for the RAAMP to make this intervention possible. I commend the World Bank and the international donor agencies for their support.
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“We cannot claim to promote food security or seek investment from outside when the roads are in bad shape. We cannot seek a brighter future for future generations when our schools and other enabling infrastructure are in shambles.”
Earlier, the Project coordinator, RAAMP, Kwara state, Akorede Abduwahab Agboola in his welcome address commended the administration of Governor Abdulrazaq administration for scoring a first among the 13 states involved in RAAMP across the nation by being the first to flag-off the construction project.
Agboola reiterated the importance of RAAMP assisted project in the opening and development of rural areas by creating accessibility to opportunities outside their domains.
He said that the flag-off of the first 5.2km road in Alapa would in no small way help in reducing post-harvest losses, expose farmers to international trade, and eliminate middlemen as well as improving the total economy of the rural areas and the state in general.
