World Bank, France boost agric with 37.4bn in Nigeria
An online statement sent by Bamidele Oladokun of the World Bank Group said while the bank is contributing $170 million of the amount, the French Development Agency is contributing $60 million under the Second Rural Access and Mobility Project. The statement quoted World Bank Director in Nigeria, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, as saying, “agriculture remains the […]
An online statement sent by Bamidele Oladokun of the World Bank Group said while the bank is contributing $170 million of the amount, the French Development Agency is contributing $60 million under the Second Rural Access and Mobility Project.
The statement quoted World Bank Director in Nigeria, Marie Francoise Marie-Nelly, as saying, “agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s rural economy and growth in the non-oil sector can be accelerated by improving roads that are vital to increase agriculture productivity, access to health as well as education for rural communities.”
It also quoted Task Team Leader and World Bank Senior Infrastructure Economist, Mohammed Dalil Essakali, as saying that “the sooner these rural communities are provided with transport access under the project, the higher the chances that they will see real improvement in their access to social services and to opportunities to market their agriculture products, and hence increase their income.”
The release read: “Building on the experience from the First Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-1), that is rehabilitating more than 420 kilometers of rural roads and 130 river crossings in Kaduna State, the Second Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2) launched in Abuja will support rehabilitation, upgrading and maintenance of about 1,450 kilometers of rural roads and building 65 river crossings.
The statement added that innovative community-based road maintenance schemes will involve local population in the design and operation of maintenance works, thus creating employment opportunities for men and women living along the roads to be rehabilitated.