…Inaugurates State Project Monitoring and Technical Steering Committee
…Relaunched RAAMP Project to Boost Economy
Oyo state Governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has declared the state readiness to construct and rehabilitate about 1,000 kilometre rural and farm roads that would assist in expanding the state’s economy through a Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
Makinde revealed this on Tuesday while inaugurating the state project monitoring and technical steering committee as well as relaunching of RAAMP in a ceremony held at the government house.
The Governor, who doubles as the chairman of the committee, stressed the need to ensure all projects initiated under RAAMP be of quality and stand the test of time while noting that the current post harvest losses being experienced by farmers would be addressed with the RAAMP initiative.
“As a member of this committee, one thing we want to ensure is that quality is maintained. We don’t want situation in the past where roads and critical infrastructure were constructed and before the administration left office,the infrastructure would almost be in total decay”
“We went to Eruwa last week,the road from ologuneru to Eruwa is still being worked upon, it is yet to get to the final point, many portions of the road have failed already. That’s not what we want to do, quality has to be maintained.”
Earlier, the project coordinator Dr. Yode-Moses Ayanlowo explained that the vision of the project was to enhance productive capacity, facilitate rapid rural development, improve rural transport infrastructure linking with agro logistics hubs that would result in economic and social development
Also, in a keynote address, the commissioner for agriculture and Vice- chairman, administration for the committee, Hon Ojemuyiwa Ojekunle said the relaunching of RAAMP is an indication of the current administration’s committee to the agricultural sector, adding that the initiative would encourage more investment in agribusiness and alleviate poverty for rural dwellers
The RAAMP initiative is a Federal Government sponsored project under donor agencies such as World Bank, French Development Bank, AfDB with a 12% counterpart fund from interested states and a seven year life cycle.