The Federal Government has signed a tripartite agreement with the World Bank and the French Development Agency. This is to commit an envelope to the tune of $575m for the construction of rural roads in 13 states in Nigeria. The project will see the construction of rural roads covering a total distance of 53,730km, between March 2021 to 2026.
The National Coordinator, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, Aminu Muhammed, after a two-week ‘3rd Implementation Support Review Mission’ meeting in Abuja said 12 of the 13 states had received the take-off disbursement. At the event were Task Team Lead for World Bank’s Transport Sector, Olatunji Ahmed; AFD’s TTL, Mr Francois Giroudy; Project Manager, AFD, Antonio Le Bihan; and representative of the Project Coordinating Unit, Kush Peter.
Muhammed also disclosed that the International Labour Organisation had expressed its readiness to offer both financial and technical help. Especially to the rural roads project, adding that the World Bank would fast track “no objection” for the ILO intervention.
In an interview on the sideline of the World Bank’s TTL, Ahmed urged the states to comply with the disbursement to avoid possible backlash. Ahmed added states should fast-track the processes of establishing a State Road Fund and a Rural Access Road Agency. Noting that their existence would give institutional and financial strength to the project, especially after completion.
The Project Coordinator, RAAMP, Ogun State, Muritala Adekunle, in his presentation, said the support from Governor Dapo Abiodun to the least stakeholder in the value chain made the milestones achieved by the project possible. He also said nine markets would receive intervention out of the 12 proposed to the Federal Project Management Unit. Adekunle appealed to the Bank to expedite action on proposals requiring the granting of “no objection.”
-Punch.
