RAAMP to Open Up Rural Roads, Agricultural Markets in Kogi – Project Coordinator

The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), is a metamorphosis to widen the scope of operations from the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP). The project was initiated by the Federal Government and it is being financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Agence Francaise de Developpment (AFD). Kogi State Coordinator of the project is Engr Sheidu Obansa Adamu who explained the essence and benefits to MOHAMMED YABAGI in this interview…

Engr. Sheidu Obansa Adamu, Project Coordinator, RAAMP

Briefly introduce yourself sir…

My name is Engr. Sheidu Obansa Adamu. I was born over 50 years ago into the family of late Pa Sheidu Tinko of Okene in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. I hold a Bachelor of Engineering Degree (Civil Engineering) from the famous Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, and upon the completion of the mandatory NYSC, I had a working experience at the Dantata & Sawoe Construction firm in 1996. I later got employed with National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Itakpe and worked there from 2001 to 2015 after which I moved my services to the Kogi State Ministry of Rural Development and got deployed to Kogi RAAMP as Coordinator: 2015 till date.

Give us a little background to RAAMP…

The Federal Government of Nigeria initiated the preparation of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), the successor of the Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP). The project is being financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Agence Francaise de Developpment (AFD). The development objective of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is to improve rural access and agricultural marketing in selected participating states while strengthening the financing and institutional base for sustainable management of the rural and state roads network.
In spite of the relatively high road density, the rural accessibility index for Nigeria (defined as the proportion of the rural population living within 2 kilometres away from an all-weather road) is low, at only 25.5 percent, leaving about 92 million rural dwellers unconnected. Rural access also improves the agro economic potentials and support food security as more products will get to the market before they become bad. These considerations demand the expansion and improvement of rural road network, and, also, conservation of rural road/transport assets. The overall goal for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is for employment generation, improve the competitiveness of commodity value chains, and increase incomes of the commodity value chain actors through improved rural road infrastructure, agricultural processing and marketing systems. Furthermore, an improved rural access will enhance the agricultural potentials and marketing opportunities for the agrarian rural communities in Nigeria and, by extension, help in the improvement of livelihoods of the rural population.2.1Project Overview and Description. The development objective of the proposed Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is to improve rural access and agricultural marketing in selected participating states while strengthening the financing.
Now, let me quickly express gratitude to Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello for his show of love to rural communities in the state, especially given the level of support he has continued to give to RAAMP. He has been up to date with the issue of payment of counterpart funding. He has shown that he is a leader that is interested in ensuring that rural dwellers, especially rural farmers are provided the necessary implement to have good yield and easy access to the market. This is something capable of addressing unemployment, food security, rural development and infrastructural upgrade.
Evolution of RAAMP
We’ve had RAMP and the State Rural Access and Mobility Project before the evolution to RAAMP. Now, other states that came in to form the current state of the project is because of the advantages noticed from it. It is to expand the rate of development that other states involved were experiencing.
If you look at the name; RAMP and RAAMP, three things are being looked at. These are; access to rural roads, agriculture and agricultural market. The objective is to link agricultural centres or hubs to market. To link them properly, issue of roads cannot be taken away. The essential advantage is to develop both the agricultural hubs and the rural markets and then create food security through sufficiency.
This is where the issue of agro-logistic study come in. This centre on market development and agricultural hubs.

How viable is RAAMP in Kogi State and how can it help the state’s rural farmers?

The advantage of this project gives it the possibility of becoming one of the best in the life of this administration and the state government because of its advantages. One of such advantage is it can reduce or even end the issue of rot of farm harvest because of inability to take such produce to the market. So, when developed, such rural roads and other infrastructure that would be provided would go a long way in ensuring the agricultural products are made available to consumers in a timely manner. The viability of the project in Kogi State is good.

What is the duration of RAAMP?

Well, the first and second generation (RAMP and SRAMP) had four years duration period while the expansion in scope and changes have given RAAMP extra two years, making it a six years duration project.

What are the sustainability plans for this project?

Yes. The issue of sustainability was one of the things discussed during the SLA (Subsidiary Loan Agreement) signing. So, it was one of the convenants during the signing. The issue of sustainability is key to the project in its entirety. Currently, we are working on a draft to be sent to the State House of Assembly, in line with that, on a sector reform to establish what is called RARA (Rural Access and Road Agency). The agency would now be the maintaining body at the expiration of the project lifespan.

What is the correlation between rural roads and agricultural development?

The thing is you cannot differentiate them. They are interwoven. Rural roads, especially those in farm centres/or agricultural hubs and markets are integral parts of the overall mix of agric development. Any road to be considered for construction in RAAMP, we must see that it is connected to farm centres and markets. They are key to each other. Good roads give you easy access to farm centre and hubs where food and agricultural goods can easily be accessed. It is actually interwoven respective of how you look at it. Road is an infrastructure, it is an essential requirement for improved agricultural output.

How did you come about the roads being considered in this project?

Thank you so much. The moment we came on board in 2015, we demanded for the road inventory in the state from the relevant ministries such as ministries of works, rural development and agriculture. When we collated the list of roads, we now consulted a consultant who carried out prioritization study using Multi – Criteria Analysis (MCA) to select the roads. At the time, we had 121 number of roads across the state. Using the same MCA, it was reduced to 69 roads amounting to about 500.5 kilometers as against the over 1,500 kilometers we previously had. The 500 was limited to just agricultural roads. After the criteria, we had to carry a revalidation to select those that are directly linked to farm centres and agro-logistics.

What is the level of involvement of stakeholders in terms of interface?

Now, when you talk of stakeholders, they are in different cadres. There are those that are involved from the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) and those at the national, local and international. Locally, we have done a lot interface. We have held engagements senatorially within the state, locally across local government areas concerned and across communities. We have had stakeholders awareness involving traditional rulers at West, East and Central Senatorial Districts. We have had meetings with the Obaro of Kabba, the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, the Attah Igala, the Maigari of Lokoja and the Ohimegye Igu of Kotonkarfe and they were in full support and we have continued to engage them on the project.

Do you envisage any resistance from any community? If yes, what are the mechanism put in place to address them?

Thank you. We actually do envisage such and have put in place what we call grievance redress mechanism. Even though we do not pray any resistance, we have already put it in place to ensure we nip such situation in the bud – if they come up. But being a body trying to bring develoment to our rural communities, I don’t see any problem coming. But if it does, we are ready to address it head long.

When are earth moving equipment going to site?

Yes. Thank you. What we are doing right now is the Evaluation of Designs and Supervision. This project has its ethics. First, you have to do design and it must last, at the least, three months. So, in the end, we except Earth Moving Machines getting to site by January next year.

What are the challenges Kogi RAAMP has faced so far?

First of all, let me use this opportunity to thank the Governor, His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello for providing us with the enabling environment to put in our best towards contributing to the development of the state through this project. His Excellency has been so supportive, especially on the issue of finances. As I said, Kogi is up-to-date on the issue of payment of counterpart funding which has helped us in no small measure. So, I want to thank him for that. He understands that the project is highly competitive as the funding is centrally contributed and how fast one can implement determines when one can ask for reimbursement. Currently, the whole financiers are at par and up-to-date with the issue of contribution, which is great. So, I say thank you our Governor for showing love to Kogi State rural dwellers. This is also thanking the Commissioner for his tireless support with memo and approvals.

What is your message to the benefitting communities for this project?

They should claim ownership of the project. They should give it adequate support to give it the sustainability that it deserves. You see, this project is in different forms. This is a project that has different facets, including Sports Improvement, Backlog/Rehabilitation, Upgrade and Routine Maintenance. Let me explain.
There are roads that that are good, but a portion of such roads may be bad, thereby preventing people from the use of such roads because of damage. Such roads will get attention from us. This may be a short distance and requires minimal intervention. For rehabilitation, it is usually longer in kilometers and have longer period of time to be completed. For the Upgrade, we are looking roads that require linkages to agricultural centres. Such usually last longer when constructed.