The Plateau Government has made N2 billion available as counterpart funding for the implementation of the state’s Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

Governor Caleb Mutfwang announced this on Monday in Jos during the state’s construction of three Agro-Logistic Centres.

The governor stated that the action was intended to improve the state’s rural infrastructure and agro-business.

Mutfwang clarified that the agro-logistic centres will be located in the state’s Mangu, Shendam, and Bassa Local Government Areas (LGAs).

“It took us quite a lot of financial engineering to put these funds together. It is not easy to just release N2 billion with the current scarce resources. But because of the importance and impact of the project to our people, we took the bold step and released the funds.

“Let me say that this is a project that commenced in 202,1 and by the time we came in in 2023, nothing had been done and we started afresh,” he said.

The governor said that his administration had enacted some laws and created special agencies to enable the project to run smoothly in the state.

He called on the chairmen, traditional rulers, and the people of the benefiting LGAs to take ownership of the project and ensure that the contractors deliver quality jobs.

“Local government chairmen and traditional rulers must take responsibility for these projects; you have the right to inform us if any projects are not being correctly implemented.

The governor further assured the state’s people of his commitment to serving them with diligence and accountability.

“Let me assure my people of Plateau that I’m here as your governor to serve you and will do everything with all due diligence and sincerity to meet your aspirations.

“This I will, and do not mind political affiliations or religious inclinations, but in line with our desire to bring development to all sectors of the economy,” Mutfwang promised.

In his remarks, Mr Aminu Mohammad, the National Coordinator of RAAMP, commended the Plateau Government for its commitment to implementing the project in the state.

Mohammed, represented by Mr Salisu Abubakar, explained that the project is implemented in 19 states with the support of the World Bank and the Agence Frabcaise De Development(AFD).

He said that the project, particularly the agro centres, would improve service delivery to farmers and agro processors in the state.

He particularly said that Plateau was rated first among the benefiting states in implementation.

“This is a bold declaration of our shared commitment to improving the livelihood of smallholder farmers, strengthening the agricultural value chain and promoting rural economic growth.

“The agro-logistic centres are an integral component of the agro project, with the strategic objective of enhancing market access through infrastructure development and the market system.

“RAAMP has come to stay, and we are expecting additional funding of over 575 million dollars for another phase,” he said. 

The state’s RAAMP Coordinator, Mr. Daniel Temsen, also reported that the project had built 45 drainage systems and 331 km of roads throughout the state’s rural areas.

Temsen urged the contractors to complete the projects according to the specifications and thanked the governor for releasing the counterpart money.

Source: NAN

Image Credit: United Nations Development Programme