FG expands agriculture project to 36 states

The Federal Government has announced plans to expand the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) to the 36 states of the federation.

The National Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Aminu Mohammed disclosed this during the Agency’s annual retreat and training of staff held in Calabar, Cross River State.

At the occasion, Mohammed stated that “RAAMP was poised at making remarkable impact across the country, hence the need to extend the project to all states”.

He expressed delight over an increase in the number of participating states, stressing that the successes recorded from the project’s commencement in 2008 in Cross River and Kaduna states paved the way for its expansion.

Mohammed urged participating states to be more active in implementing the project, to enable them have access to more funds and expand their rural road infrastructure.

He said, “Some of the state project coordinators are doing very well; all hands must be on deck to achieve the goals of the project because there will be more funding if we are able to do the job well. We are looking at making the project multi-phased and also introducing technology in its implementation because we believe that we will achieve more using technology”.

The State Governor, Ben Ayade called on staff of the project to put national interest above their ethnic, religious and political inclinations in the discharge of their assignment.

He described RAAMP as a multi-dimensional project capable of positively changing lives, especially those of rural dwellers and it seeks to provide access roads in rural areas to boost agricultural marketing.

The governor was represented by Dr. Inyang Asibong, Commissioner for International Donor Cooperation.