To promote rural economic growth and alleviate poverty, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the World Bank, has unveiled a $600 million expansion of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
Nigeria has approximately 200,000 kilometers of rural roads, but only 40,000 kilometers are operational, leaving 87 percent in poor condition.
To address this gap, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, announced during a press conference in Abuja that the expanded project will include $500 million from the World Bank and a counterpart fund of $100 million from the federal and state governments.
Previously, the World Bank committed $280 million for the initial phase of RAAMP, which had a total budget of $575 million. The new financing aims to extend the project's impact from 19 states to all 36 states, marking an important milestone in rural development and agricultural advancement across the country.
Abdullahi emphasized that the RAAMP initiative focuses on improving rural communities' access to markets, boosting agricultural productivity and creating economic opportunities.
The $600 million investment will support the rehabilitation of rural roads, the construction of markets and other essential infrastructure, ultimately transforming the livelihoods of millions of rural Nigerians.
“This collaborative effort between the World Bank and the Federal Government is expected to have a significant impact on rural development in Nigeria, promoting economic growth and reducing poverty,” he said.
“This expansion is aimed at institutionalizing the idea of developing rural routes in Nigeria. We believe that, if implemented, it will create new development domains and establish new corridors, while developing agricultural clusters that will support our economic diversification drive. This will provide a new route for the transportation of raw materials, food for consumption and inputs for agroindustries.
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“All of this aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, which prioritizes food security, economic growth and job creation, poverty eradication and inclusion. These are key areas where this project has the potential to have a significant impact.
“Underlining the importance of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, he noted that the lack of rural access and mobility has forced migration of youth and created high unemployment challenges in urban centres.
“We have a growing level of migration from the countryside to the city. If rural areas lack economic activities, the energy and potential of the youth will not be harnessed and they will leave these villages in search of opportunities elsewhere,” Abdullahi said.
He noted that the project is already underway and is being implemented in partnership with the World Bank.
“Based on the achievements of the project so far, almost all states in the federation are applying to be incorporated so that they can benefit from its success. However, as part of the review, all parties agree that sustainability elements must be included in the future.”