The Akwa Ibom State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (AKS-RAAMP) has been recognized as one of the top-performing states among the 19 participating in the project. This commendation was given by the Task Team Leader of the World Bank, Engr. Olatunji Ahmed, during the seventh joint World Bank and French Development Agency (AFD) implementation support mission of RAAMP held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Engr. Ahmed praised the quality and timely progress of the civil works along Akwa Ibom’s demonstration rural road. He highlighted the state’s adherence to the schedule and the excellence of the work being carried out, stating, “When we visited Akwa Ibom State for the pre-mission last month, we saw the civil works progressing on schedule along the demonstration road and most likely to be finished before completion time. Apart from that, we also saw that the quality of job was excellent. Those are the two areas that have distinguished Akwa Ibom State from other states. Things are going on schedule and in the right quality. That’s a good one and very much commendable.”
Governor Umo Bassey Eno had previously flagged off the 11-kilometer Owotuta – Nung Oku Ekere – Afaha Udo Eyop – Edeobom – Utuat market junction demonstration rural road in Ibesikpo Asutan and Nsit Ibom Local Government Areas. The project, contracted to China Roads and Bridges Corporation (CRBC), is set for completion within 18 months.
Ahmed also lauded Katsina RAAMP for being the first state to complete its civil works contract four months ahead of schedule, urging other states to follow the examples set by Akwa Ibom and Katsina for optimal results.
National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Mohammed, emphasized the project’s role in achieving food sufficiency and security by improving rural roads and trading infrastructure, thus boosting food production. He urged stakeholders to work collectively towards the project’s success and announced that civil works on agro-logistics centers (ALCs) would commence by September 2024, with 23 major contracts to be awarded.
ALCs are market hubs set to be upgraded to modern standards in rural communities to enhance livelihoods. World Bank Task Team Leader, Mr. Rakeesh Tripathi, indicated that a scale-up project is being planned, with eligibility criteria including the establishment and operationalization of the Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and State Road Fund (SRF), as well as a good standing regarding counterpart funds.
AFD Task Team Leader, Ms. Sally Ibrahim, encouraged participants to leverage the expertise available at the mission to overcome challenges faced during project implementation.
The event featured presentations by the State Project Coordinator of Akwa Ibom RAAMP, Pastor Gideon Akpan, and other state coordinators, discussing their implementation statuses, milestones, challenges, and strategies for moving forward. The session included a question and answer segment, comments, and observations from stakeholders.
Attendees included representatives from the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) of RAAMP, World Bank consultants, and State Project Implementation Units (SPIUs) from all 19 RAAMP states.