Sokoto Gov’t initiates 2,273 Kms rural, urban roads in 3 years — Aide
From Bashir Rabe Mani in Sokoto
Sokoto State Government has initiated no fewer than 2,273 Kilometers of rural and urban roads across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state in the last three years, the Special Adviser to Governor on Rural Roads, Alhaji Malami Muhammad Galadanchi, has said.
Our Correspondent in Sokoto reports that Galadanchi disclosed this on Monday in Sokoto at the opening of two-day ‘Capacity Building and Community Campaigns on Completed Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) Roads on Roads Safety’.
The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP, is a World Bank and Federal Government initiative being implemented in Sokoto and other participating states to improve rural road infrastructure and agricultural marketing.
The project focuses on constructing and rehabilitating rural access roads, river crossings, and agro-logistics facilities to link farming communities to markets and reduce post-harvest losses.
In Sokoto State, RAAMP is a key part of Gov. Ahmed Aliyu’s infrastructure drive, with several rural roads already awarded to ease the movement of farm produce and improve livelihoods.
Beyond roads, RAAMP also targets institutional strengthening and sustainability.
The project supports the establishment of a Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Agency, RAAMA, in each state to manage rural roads and ensure maintenance after construction.
It also provides training for rural communities, engineers, and contractors on road maintenance, climate-resilient construction, and agribusiness.
The goal is to create a system where rural infrastructure does not collapse after a few seasons, but continues to serve farmers and traders for years.
For Sokoto farmers, RAAMP is expected to cut transportation costs, open up new markets, and reduce the impact of insecurity on the movement of goods.
By connecting remote villages to urban centers, the project directly supports the state government’s agenda on food security, job creation, and poverty reduction.
Declaring open the training, the Special Adviser said that while some of the road projects had since been completed and commissioned, others are ongoing across the state.
He explained that the rural road projects were executed under categories that include: Upgrading, rehabilitation, backlog maintenance and spot improvement.
Galadanchi reiterated the commitment of Sokoto state government under the leadership of Gov. Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto towards executing more rural and urban road projects to boosting access to markets and other social services, while facilitating socio-economic development across the state.
In a welcome address, the Sokoto State RAAMP Coordinator, Engr. Malami Umar Tambuwal said that the training was to enlighten road users in the state on how to properly use the newly constructed and rehabilitated roads.
“At the onset of this administration, it inherited dilapidated roads across the state which is now history sequel to the commitment of the state government to the execution of rural and urban road projects.
“Roads are now too good as such there is the tendency for people to speed, hence cause road traffic crashes.
“So, we organize this event so as to enlighten the people on how to properly use these roads without causing any unpalatable issues,” he said.
Our Correspondent also reports that there was a presentation on a Draft Road Safety Design and Audit Manual by Engr. Okwudili N. Ihejinni, a World Bank certified Road Safety Consultant.
The event was attended by RAAMP officials from Sokoto and Kebbi States, as well as personnel of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), among others.
