By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has restated its commitment towards ensuring the success of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) as a way forward to ending poverty and promoting rural development across the country.
The Director of Project Coordinating Unit- Federal Ministry of Finance, Mallam Burka Musa who stated this at the 5th Joint World Bank and French Development Agency (AfD) Support Mission in Abuja on Wednesday, also assured that the Government will leave no stone unturned in realizing the project development objective of RAAMP.
According to him, government will achieve this objective through boosting agricultural productivity, upgrading rural road infrastructure and agricultural marketing hubs to improve the overall quality of life of our rural populace.
The Director commended the World Bank, the French Development Agency and the Federal Project Management Unit of RAAMP led by Engr Aminu Bodinga Mohammad, describing the project as a veritable tool for grassroots development.
In their separate remarks, Engr Aminu Bodinga Mohammad – RAAMP National Coordinator; the RAAMP Task Team Leader, World Bank- Engr Olatunji Ahmed; Rakeesh Tripathi- World Bank Task Team Leader noted that the essence of the mission is to evaluate, brainstorm and identify achievements, as well as challenges with the aim to proffer solutions targeted towards the overall success of the project across all participating states of the project.
Additionally, they charged all participants to feel free to socialize and share knowledge which will be leveraged upon for the overall milestone realization of the project.
According to a statement by RAAMP Development Communications Officer, Amadi Vivian, the Ebonyi State Commissioner of Humanitarian Affairs and RAAMP focal person- Mrs. Anne Aligwe, World Bank and French Development Agency consultants, Project Coordinators and Project Implementation Units attended the event.
Highpoints of the event were presentations by the Abia, Akwa-Ibom and Ebonyi State Project Coordinators as well as Break sessions involving the various project departments for continued knowledge sharing among participants.