Victor EzejaGiven the crucial role of rural transport infrastructure in catalyzing economic development as it links up rural communities and urban areas, Ogun State government has pledged it’s commitment to adopting all necessary measures to improve rural access roads in the state.
The state commissioner for rural development, Hon. Jamiu Kolawole Odetoogun gave the indication in his address at the Road Sector Reform stakeholders workshop held in Abeokuta on Thursday, September 22, 2022.
Ogun State is one of the 13 states participating in the implementation of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), an initiative of the Nigerian government, supported with financing by the World Bank and French Development Agency to provide suitable road network for rural farmers to convey their farm produce to the market to avoid losses. RAAMP is the successor of the Second Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2). The project is being guided by the Government’s Rural Travel and Transport Policy (RTTP).
Commissioner Odetoogun said the State government under the leadership of Governor Dapo Abiodun, prioritises rural development and therefore recognises the need for provision of infrastructure to boost agricultural growth to reduce poverty, one of which is through construction of rural roads, adding that such help in boosting the economy to make life more meaningful for the people.
He disclosed that the major step in achieving it is by putting all measures in place to ensure the making of laws establishing Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and other schemes to oversee that.
He said, “Let me assure you at this point that the State Government will, as a matter of commitment, set in motion all necessary machineries towards the prompt passage of the bills establishing the Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and the State Road Fund (SRF) as captured under the Third Component of the Project, in addition to their eventual endorsement by His Excellency, the Governor.
“The intending benefits of these establishments to the people of Ogun State is enormous and their advantages to the Government are unquantifiable.”
The one-day workshop on road sector reform was organised by RAAMP in conjunction with Federal Project Implementation Unit (FPMU) which is overseeing the project on behalf of the Federal Department of Rural Development (FDRD) under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
The commissioner explained that the RAAMP implementation in the state will involve “upgrading 125km rural roads; rehabilitation/backlog maintenance of 200km; spot improvement of 450km; routine maintenance of 700km rural roads; construction of 100m of cross-drainage structures (culverts and bridges), and development of 5 agro-logistics centres (rural markets).”
He further disclosed that the project will be financed by World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD) and Ogun State government, adding that part of the precondition for further funding of the project by the international financial institutions is the legislation establishing a State Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and a State Road Fund (SRF) to be finalized and placed before the State House of Assembly not later than 18 months after the effective date of the Project.
This provision he said, necessitated the initial visit of the Consultant on Road Sector Reforms Advisory Service to Ogun State in March, 2022 for a face-to-face engagement with relevant stakeholders including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and NGOs. “The fallouts of these engagements, coupled with the need to meet up with the stated precondition as the Project became effective in March, 2021, is the thrust of today’s workshop,” he added.
The commissioner stated that since the declaration of the project effective on March 16, 2022, the state government has made some efforts for its implementation which among others include signing of the Subsidiary Loan Agreements for World Bank and French Development Agency which consequently led to the disbursement of first tranche of fund by Development Partners and release of the Counterpart Fund to the Project for year 2022 by the state government.
Explaining further on the importance of the project to the state, he said “the establishment of Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and State Road Fund (SRF) was necessitated by the lessons learnt from the predecessor of the Project, RAMP 2 to ensure that rural road reform is implemented and its institutional capacity is strengthened. Hence, with the onboarding of the Agency that will champion the maintenance of rural roads in the State and the funding to ensure sustainability and this will guarantee that all States and rural roads are continuously put into good condition after the expiration of the Project.”
The commissioner stressed that the task cannot be achieved alone by Ogun-RAAMP and the Ministry of Rural Development, and therefore needs the collective effort of all relevant stakeholders “particularly the Ministry of Justice, the State Executive Council and the Ogun State House of Assembly would be expediently required.
“I, therefore, use this opportunity to solicit your support and cooperation towards the expeditious fulfilment of this obligation,” Odetoogun stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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