Oyo to complete 200km rural roads

From Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan

At least 200 kilometres of rural roads will be fixed across Oyo State this year through the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), the state government has said.

Speaking yesterday, Governor Seyi Makinde said his administration was committed to improving agricultural outputs of the state so that it could take its pride of place and create employment for youths.

He spoke while hosting a delegation of the African Development Bank (AfDB), International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), who visited him in his office at Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.

The governor told the team, which would equally embark on a trip to the state’s agro-processing project that through RAAMP, the administration would fix 200-kilometre rural roads this year.

He said: “We are excited about this programme, because the four pillars, which this administration is standing on, are education, health, expansion of our economy and security. In expanding our economy, we are looking towards where we have a comparative advantage and that is agriculture.

“We are keen to take our space in terms of agricultural outputs. So, this could not have come at a better time for us and, as an administration, because we want to take many of our unemployed youths off the streets, we know agriculture and agribusiness is the way to go.”

Makinde hailed RAAMP for fixing over 200 kilometres of rural roads, saying the special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) project would get the support of the government at the topmost level.

“Let me take this opportunity to thank a partner, IFAD. They are involved in the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project. Though we are about to kick off on that one, this year we are fixing over 200 kilometres of rural roads.

“When Dr. Debo Akande told me of this visit, I had to cancel other activities to meet with you to show the importance we attach to the SAPZ programme.  So, you can expect support and attention from the topmost level of the government of Oyo State,” the governor said.

The team leader of the African Development Bank, Dr. Chucks Ezedinma, said the bank is in the country to undertake what it calls the Special Agro- Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs).

He said the programme was designed for six states, adding that Oyo was one of the beneficiaries.

Ezedinma said: “I bring you greetings from our president, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina. The bank is in the country to undertake what we call the appraisal of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones, which is the lead African strategic programme of the bank.

“The project is designed as a programme that will be done in six states and Oyo happens to be one of the six states we are going to start with.

“We are looking at designing the programme in a way that will be transformational, youth-oriented, gender-oriented, environmentally-sustainable and ensuring that we also put into cognisance the issue of climate change.”