RAAMP: Rivers To Diversify Economy To Agric At LGAs

Rivers State Government has restated its readiness to diversify the economy of the state from oil to Agriculture at the local government level.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, disclosed this during a meeting on implementation of RAAMP in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
Ogolo said the programme would create agricultural industrial hubs in the 23 local government areas, and urged the people to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, rural farmers and other stakeholders in the state have commended the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Retd) for approving the implementation of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing project (RAAMP) in the state.
RAAMP is a World Bank programme with support from the International Development Association (IDA), the French Development Agency and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
According to a statement made available to newsmen, the programme aims to strengthen the institutional and financial base for sustainable management of state and rural networks, fostering historic development to enhance food security, creating access in rural communities to boost agricultural processes through creation of durable access roads and agro logistics centres/hub.
The programme has been in operation since 2020 with 19 states benefitting. The benefitting states include Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Bauchi. Other beneficiaries are Plateau, Kwara, Ondo, Niger, Gombe, Anambra, Cross River, Taraba and Benue states.
The source said that 12 new states including Rivers State recently completed their requirements for inclusion into the RAAMP 3.
Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting at Isiokpo, headquarters of Ikwerre Local government area, a cross section of farmers described the programme as timely as it would boost food production as well as create markets for agricultural produce. But they warned against it going the way of other programmes.
The people also complained against incessant destruction of crops by herdsmen and called for it to be checked. They stated that women need assistance to break free from subsistence agriculture
Ogolo said the programme was aimed at diversifying Rivers economy from oil to agriculture.
He said the program will also enable farmers to move from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, adding that access roads will not only be created to farms but markets will be built for farmers to sell their produce.
He listed other benefits to include creation of employment for the youths and helping small traders to boost sales.
The state RAAMP Coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol said the “the essence of this project is to provide rural access roads and improve agricultural marketing systems across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state”
Kpakol said the project is divided into three components which are improvement of rural access and trading infrastructure, sector reform, asset management and agro logistics performance enhancement and institutional development, project management and risk mitigation.
He urged farmers and traders to embrace the project as it would go a long way in changing their fortunes.
The administrator of the council Hon Isaiah Christian said the council will work towards the success of the programme.