Akwa Ibom State Government has pledged to rehabilitate 486 rural roads across the three senatorial districts of the state to create accessible links between the rural areas and the urban centres.
State Commissioner of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Offiong Offor, disclosed this in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, during a ministerial briefing on Arise Scorecard Season 1.0, tagged: “Food Security and Sufficiency”.
She said the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, sponsored by the State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank and French Development Agency, would open up the rural areas, where agricultural activities are mainly carried out.
At the briefing were the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong, the Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Emem Bob, and the Chairman of the Bulk Purchase Agency, Mr Dan Akpan.
Offor said, “When the rural roads are fixed, there will be a reduction in post-harvest losses, as farm produce will be easily conveyed to the urban areas.
The Commissioner highlighted the government’s commitment to food production through the distribution of farm inputs to different farmers and cooperative groups, adding that the AK-CARES project is another state government intervention, also in collaboration with the World Bank, which has contributed to poverty alleviation, hunger eradication and reducing the effects of COVID-19 pandemic.
She emphasized the importance of cooperative groups in increasing food production, adding that when people come together, they crossbreed ideas, easily access finance, and stand a better chance of having more resources for production as group farming was encouraged over individual farming.
The commissioner said the Young Farmers Club has been revived in public schools to foster interest and participation of students in farming activities.
“Governor Eno has supported public secondary schools and boarding schools in providing food for their students, by giving them farm inputs”, she said.
On his part, the Information Commissioner, Comrade Ememebong, underscored the significance of the briefing in effectively communicating the government’s efforts towards achieving food sufficiency and addressing multi-dimensional poverty, particularly in rural areas.
The Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr. Bob, said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and the removal of petroleum subsidy by the President Boka Ahmed Tinubu-led administration prompted the idea of the AK-CARES project to support vulnerable households and farmers across the state.
Bob disclosed that the state social register has about 2.3 million vulnerable households, who will benefit from the Bulk Purchase Intervention.
Consultant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, commended the initiatives on food availability, affordability, and stability.
Umanah urged Akwa Ibom people to embrace farming and support the government’s investment in agriculture.
Throwing more light on the essence of the Bulk Purchase Intervention, the chairman of the agency, Rt. Hon. Dan Akpan assured the public of the quality of food items distributed and called for the people’s support for the intervention to succeed.