RAAMP: Rivers Rated High In Implementation 

National Office of The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has rated the implementation of the project high in Rivers State.

National Coordinator, Alhaji Aminu Muhammed, said this at the RAAMP sector reform workshop in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.

Aminu Muhammed who was represented by RAAMP National procurement specialist, Engr Irabor Emmanuel, said Rivers State had fulfilled all conditions except one, stressing that the only condition remaining was the drafting of a bill for the implementation of the program.

According to him, Rivers State has a standard office for housing RAAMP, also adequate staffing to ensure effective implementation of the project, adding that what is left is the drafting of two important bills.

He stressed the need for sustainable plan that would be backed up with financing, and urged stakeholders to come up with decisions that would ensure the effective implementation of the project in the state.

Speaking, a World Bank consultant, Graham Smith, said the RAAMP  will embark on the repair of several roads, especially the trunk B and trunk C roads for the easy evacuation of agricultural produce.

He said 419 km of such roads had been identified and earmarked for repairs, adding that the cost  will run into billions of naira.

In his welcome address, the State Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme formally took off in Rivers State on the 31st of July, 2024, following the expression of interest by the State Governor and acceptance by the National RAAMP Office.

He said since then, his team had been working tirelessly to meet all the conditions required to access support from development partners which include The World Bank, the French Development Agency and The Islamic Bank.

“RAAMP is more than a project, it’s about connecting lives, empowering communities and driving inclusive growth across Rivers State”.

He said the project will open up “our rural roads, link farmers to market, boost agricultural productivity, reduce post harvest losses and strengthen local economies.

“It will also build the capacity of our institutions to maintain road assets and attract international funding support to ease the pressure on our state budget.”

Kpakol said  his team had made significant progress from setting up institutions and conducting data collection and road inventory to carrying out out sensitization across the 23 local government areas as well as developing the road sector reform strategy operational manuals.

He said the workshop would provide opportunity to review and harmonize these efforts, align the policies with global best practices and ensure the long term sustainability of rural roads through proper maintenance, financing and governance.

“As we deliberate today, I encourage everyone to share ideas freely with one goal in mind, building sustainable, efficient and inclusive rural roads sector that transforms livelihood and drives economic growth across Rivers state,” he said.

The event was attended by various stakeholders, including traditional rulers, non-governmental organizations, farmers, etc.

John Bibor