The World Bank is poised to extend another $500 million loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria, to support agricultural markets and rural access.
This program, called the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project – Scale Up (RAAMP-SU), is intended to close the gap between rural communities and the larger market by easing access to agricultural markets, hospitals, and schools and fostering social cohesion among rural residents, according to information obtained from the bank.
This scale-up emphasizes not only the physical construction of rural access roads but also the institutional fortification through the establishment of operational Rural Access Road Agencies (RARA) and State Road Funds (SRF), the implementation of Road Asset Management Systems, and the enhancement of road safety management protocols.
The Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) is designated as the lead coordinating body, with support extended by various State Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including those focused on Works, Environment, and Women’s Affairs.
The programme has already witnessed substantial support from international financiers, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD).
