To be eligible to participate in the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, states must provide 10% of their counterpart budget, according to the Federal Government.
This was said by Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, at the opening session of the 8th RAAMP Implementation Support Mission, which took place in Abuja on Monday.
Abdullahi emphasized how important RAAMP is to changing rural agriculture by expanding market accessibility and strengthening infrastructure.
According to Abdullahi, “RAAMP is already playing a critical role in addressing two of the priority areas identified by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration: enhancing infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth and boosting agriculture to achieve food security.”
The Minister described the requirements for states looking to take part in the scale-up project in accordance with this objective, stating that they must “irrevocably commit to a 10 per cent counterpart fund for the agencies.”
Additionally, he emphasized that governments must legally create the State Road Fund and the Rural Access Road Authority, furnish operational office space, and contribute seed money to the organizations.
“A US$30 million allocation will be given to states that meet these minimum eligibility criteria, and it must be disbursed within two years of its implementation,” he continued.
The goal of the scale-up effort, which will span all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is to enhance the lives of millions of Nigerians by building 10,075 kilometers of roads, 1,040 meters of cross-drainage structures, and upgrading about 65 markets, a move which is expected to improve the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians
Speaking during the occasion, Sali Ibrahim, the Project Manager for the French Development Agency, praised the chance for nations to share their concerns and experiences. Ibrahim said, “This is a chance to exchange experiences between states that don’t typically have the same problems or the same context.”
She emphasized the AFD’s ongoing partnership with the World Bank and reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to assisting Nigeria’s agriculture industry.
Rakesh Tripathi, the World Bank’s Task Team Lead for the project, emphasized the noteworthy advancements since the initiative’s start.
“When I first saw the SBIUs four years ago, I assumed that everyone was from a separate ministry. However, I think it is a big development and accomplishment compared to where we were four years ago,” Tripathi said, giving the Honourable Minister credit for the program’s performance.
“It is always good to have a minister who is a leader of the program,” he added, praising the Federal Government for its pledge to provide 10% of money for the project’s future scale-up.”
Additional information on the mission’s objectives was given by Bukar Musa, director of the Project Coordinating Unit at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, who clarified that it is a chance to evaluate successes, difficulties, and possible solutions.
Musa added that the World Bank had approved an additional $500 million for the RAAMP scale-up.