Barring any alteration to the terms and conditions spelt out in the contracts being awarded under the Ogun State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), the State government appears to be making efforts to ensure the provision of required infrastructure to boost agricultural economy at the rural areas and prevent rural-urban migration of people, especially the farmers.
The World Bank had identified some rural areas across the three Senatorial districts of Ogun state under Africa intervention programmes for immediate undertakings of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, electricity, water, among others. Consequently, the administration of Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun state governor is mobilising to key into the World Bank’s quest for economic prosperity for the rural farmers, especially the threshold female farmers and youths in accordance with the administration’s “building our future together” mantra.
Speaking on the pact during an inspection to a newly built office complex located in Abeokuta and designed for the Ogun State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), Taiwo Oludotun, the Commissioner for Rural Development, noted that the World Bank-financed scheme would not only empower the farmers but would also improve ease of farming and doing other businesses.
Oludotun, who was accompanied on the inspection by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Olalekan Lukan, assured members of the State Project Implementation Unit of RAAMP that “energising of rural economy through the provision of enabling infrastructure like roads, electricity and water among social needs, form the fulcrum of the present administration mantra.”
“You can be rest assured of the support of the governor for this project. Anything that has to do with the return of economic and social prosperity to our people, like RAAMP intends doing, will get the actionable attention of the governor.
“This vision is anchored on the sanctity of the fact that only an economically viable population can contribute to nation building through taxes and other corporate social responsibilities”, he added.
Also speaking at the event, Samuel Onabanjo, the Project Coordinator of RAAMP, told the Commissioner “500km rural roads will either be rehabilitated or constructed, barring any last minute review.”
Onabanjo, while taking the Commissioner through the “buy-in and sensitization activities” of the project, said value chains like rice, maize, fruits and vegetables, fisheries and poultry, cassava and palm oil would receive optimal attention.
He recalled that the buy-in and sensitization needed to ensure the success of the project has taken the state project implementation unit (SPIU) on a courtesy visits to the managements of OGBC and OGTV (both state-owned radio and television) in recent times.
The Project Coordinator added that six markets across the state would be upgraded to become complete “Agro-logistic hubs” in line with the vision of returning and retaining prosperity with all along the value-chain.
RAZAQ AYINLA, Abeokuta
