Abuja, Feb. 3, 2025 – The Federal Government has advised state governments to contribute 10 per cent counterpart funds to the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
It said this would enable them to qualify for participation in the project.
Aliyu Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, gave the advice in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 8th RAAMP Implementation Support Mission.
He said states willing to take part in the project must irrevocably commit 10 per cent counterpart fund to the project.
The minister stressed the role RAAMP in transforming rural agriculture by improving access to markets and enhancing infrastructure.
“RAAMP is already playing a critical role in addressing two of the priority areas identified by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration: boosting agriculture to achieve food security and enhancing infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth,” he said.
Abdullahi outlined the conditions for states seeking to participate in the scale-up project,
He said such states must establish the Rural Access Road Authority and the State Road Fund by law, provide functional office accommodations, and deposit seed funds for the agencies.
“States that meet these minimum eligibility criteria will receive a US$30 million allocation, which must be disbursed within two years of effectiveness,” the minister said.
The scale-up initiative, covering all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, targets to construct 10,075 kilometres of roads, 1,040 metres of cross-drainage structures, and upgrade approximately 65 markets.
Sali Ibrahim, the Project Manager from the French Development Agency (AFD), said the project had provided opportunity for states to share their experiences and challenges.
She said the project offered states the opportunity to share experiences among themselves, particularly states that don’t have the same issues nor the same context. (GBN)
