The Oyo State Government has completed 88.92 kilometers of rural roads and constructed three modern markets under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, disclosed this on Wednesday shortly after inspection of the projects in Akinyele, Ido, Oluyole, and Ona Ara Local Government Areas.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan, Olaleye said that the projects which cost N16.2 billion, was part of the government’s commitment to curtailing rural-urban migration and improving access to farms and agricultural markets across the state.
He said that the programme’s objectives were to enhance rural connectivity and “strengthen the enabling environment for sustainable road development, maintenance, and administration.
“The goal is to link farming communities to economic opportunities and lower the cost of food for resident consumers,” he stated.
The commissioner added that the first phase of the project was a collaboration between the Oyo State Government and the World Bank designed “to solve a long-standing challenge of rural farmers and ensure produce get to market on time.
“For rural roads, we have completed the surface dressing of the road from Alako Idi-Iya to Batake to Ijaye Farm Settlement.
“We also have the road from Adebayo-Alata to Aba Oje.
“All the rural roads we are doing under phase one is a total of about 88.92 kilometres,” he said.
The commissioner also revealed that work was ongoing on Fasola Farm Settlement Road, Interchange/Oloko Road in Oyo, Ikere Gorge Dam Road in Iseyin, Tewure-Ila Junction in Oriire Local Government Area, and Okudi-Oyada Road in Atisbo Local Government Area.
“For market projects, we have completed the construction of Akanran, Oja-Oba (Igboora), and Oja-Agbe (Iseyin) markets.
“The whole idea is to create access for rural people and farming communities to bring their produce to the market, for consumers to have access to buy fresh farm produce, and for farmers, consumers, and the entire community to grow,” he stated. (NAN)
