By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
Bauchi state governor, senator Bala Mohammed has flagged off the construction of 108.91 kilometers rural roads in six local government areas of Ningi, Warji, Dass, Bauchi, Tafawa Balewa and Toro under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The roads include 4.91 km Gadar Maiwa-Zakara road, 25km Dagu-Ningi road, 8.86km Nabordo- Gadan Doka -Jama’a road, 36.65km Dott-Dado-Baraza road, 6.71km Mararaban Dajin – Dajin road and 26.8km Mararaban Liman Katagum – Polchi – Katsinawa road.
Recall that In September 2023, the Governor Bala Mohammed launched the pilot phase of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) in the state with the inauguration of the 19km Luda-Lekka Road.
RAAMP is supported the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) and its implementation is a collaboration between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Bauchi State Government.
Speaking at Tashan Durumi community of Toro local government area, the governor said the program aligns with his administration’s vision as incapsulated in my Bauchi Project 1 and 2 where the government seek to open up rural areas and expose economic activities that will be of benefit to them.
Bala Mohammed decried that for years, rural communities have been experiencing a lot difficulties transporting their farm produce to othe markets, adding that the construction of the roads will alleviate their plight.
” Some business men in rural areas in the past go through a lot of difficulties transporting their goods to other markets, for instance, if they want to transport a cow to a particular market, they have to push it for kilometers and that is why whatever they grow is not giving adequate pricing.The same thing applies to their farm produce, the sick ones are taken to healthcare center on foot and before they get there, it is already too late”.
“There is no road during the rainy season, our students cannot go to school, especially those in secondary schools. Just like me that I had to trek from Maina-Maji and sometimes from Dindima to Duguri on foot, I know where the shoe pinches. Some of us suffered to be educated and we will not allow the younger ones to suffer the way we did and that is why we are doing these roads”.
“Today we are here, this road is in my heart. From Tashan Durumi to Katsinawa, and to Polchi and Mararaban Liman Katagum is about 28.8km. We are doing that because Mararaban Liman Katagum has become a market place of repute, all our agricultural produce sometimes comes from the South Eastern part of Alkaleri and they need to find their way to Jos and other places in the country, and that’s why we are building these roads to connect these market people” he said.
The governor who said road will be constructed from Gadan Maiwa to Zakara, disclosed that a new market will be built in order to improve economic development in the state.
“The market will consume about N3.1 billion because Mararaban Liman Katagum has become a center of commerce and that is why we rebuild the road up to Liman Katagum and we have the intention of building the road up to Bununu and Tafawa Balewa” he said.