The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, has said that states meeting specific criteria will receive a $30m allocation as part of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project scale-up initiative.
This funding aims to enhance Nigeria’s agricultural sector and ensure national food security.
States that establish the Rural Access Road Authority and the State Road Fund by law, as well as meet additional requirements, will be eligible for the funding.
“States that meet these minimum eligibility criteria will receive a $30m allocation, which must be disbursed within two years of effectiveness. So this is an opportunity, and you agree with me that when you are committed to your citizens, you want to remove the most difficult and painful part of their lives. And I think this is an opportunity for all states to grab,” he said.
While opening the RAAMP 8th mission on Monday, the minister said “This initiative will promote a culture of investment in sustainable farming practices, translated directly to increase food availability and food security for our citizens.”
He emphasised the importance of the project in strengthening rural access and improving agricultural marketing.
The project, which is open to all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, is designed to develop climate-resilient infrastructure, especially rural roads, which are critical for transporting agricultural products to markets.
Abdullahi noted the significant impact of poor infrastructure on farmers’ ability to transport their goods, leading to economic instability and post-harvest losses.
“Poor road conditions often hinder farmers’ ability to transport their products to market, resulting in decreased income and economic instability because of high post-harvest losses,” he said.
He added that improving rural infrastructure would foster more efficient supply chains and create opportunities for farmers to participate in competitive markets.
The minister also acknowledged the support from international development partners, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank.
“The flurry of interest from these states already underscores the project’s potential to drive widespread economic benefit and improve the livelihood of millions of our citizens,” Abdullahi remarked.
The Task Team Lead from the French Development Agency, represented by its Project Manager, Sali Ibrahim, acknowledged the importance of the mission in fostering dialogue and sharing experiences between states.
“This is an opportunity to discuss all of this in one group, one team, overall team, which is the RAMP team in Nigeria,” Ibrahim said.
She expressed the agency’s commitment to supporting the agricultural sector, including launching the value chain programme in 2025, which was discussed with the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture.
“We will continue putting our efforts and we will continue also trying to see how we can have an added value, especially in agricultural markets, to help the federal government boost food security,” she said.
The World Bank Task Team Lead, Rakesh Tripathi recalled the early challenges in implementing the project but praised the work done so far.
“Four years back, when I looked at the SBIUs, I was like, everybody’s coming from different ministries. Nobody had any experience contracting on a World Bank project,” Tripathi said.
“But where we were four years ago compared to where we are now, I think it is a huge, huge improvement and achievement.”
He also credited the Minister for his continued leadership and involvement in the project.
“With the visionary leadership of the minister and creation of new institutions at the federal level and with the scale-up, I think we can accomplish that sustainability in the sector,” Tripathi added.
