Ekiti Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, (EK-RAAMP) has said that the state government will soon start the construction of 1,000 kilometres of rural roads in the state.
The Project Coordinator of EK-RAAMP, Mr Sunday Adunmo, told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday that the massive construction of rural roads followed the inclusion of Ekiti in the World Bank’s co-sponsored project.
According to him, Gov. Kayode Fayemi in 2021 started the construction work on six pilot roads which were requisite for the state to be added to the World Bank ‘s project which now had 19 participating states.
He said that work was in top gear to ensure the completion of these roads, which include: Iyin-Odo Oro-Aroto Road, Ago Aduloju- Kajola Road, FMS Farm Oke-Ako Road.
Others are: Ogotun -Alagbede Road, Imesi-Kosomolate Road, adding that asphalt laying had begun on one of the six roads.
Adunmo assured the people that the RAAMP programme would continue after Gov. Fayemi-led administration would have handed the reign of power to the incoming administration
He said that the governor- elect, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, was part of the think-tank that conceived the project under the present administration.
He said that the governor-elect had severally expressed his readiness to make rural road construction a key component of his administration for agricultural development agenda.
The project coordinator said that the RAAMP initiative would transform the state’s economy, by providing motorable roads to farms and connecting them to markets.
He said that this was aimed at curbing losses usually experienced by farmers as a result of poor road network.
Adunmo said that the ongoing construction of Cargo Airport in Ado-Ekiti would be of immense benefit to the RAAMP project, as the state would ensure maximum use of the airport for transporting farm produce to other states and countries.
“Ekiti will soon begin the construction of many rural roads and market hubs with the aim of making agriculture a lucrative business for farmers, to make the state the food basket of the South West of Nigeria.
“The state RAAMP is targeting construction of 1 000 km of rural roads across the 16 local government areas,” Adunmo said.(NAN)
