ABUJA- THE Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, Monday, disclosed that over 11.5 million Nigerians have directly benefited from improved access under the $575 million Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP.
This made known by Abdullahi in his keynote address at the 10th RAAMP Implementation Support Mission, ISM, held in Abuja, while speaking on the strategic position the Project holds in the Renewed Hope Agenda driven by the Tinubu-led administration.
The RAAMP project, scheduled to end in December 2027, is designed to improve rural livelihoods, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance access to markets and social infrastructure.
He said: “This mission is taking place at a critical time, as the Federal Government, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, continues to advance the Renewed Hope Agenda, with strong emphasis on food security, agricultural transformation, and inclusive rural development.
“The declaration of a state of emergency in agriculture underscores a fundamental reality: Agricultural productivity must be supported by efficient access to markets.
:Connectivity is food security—because without access to markets, production cannot translate into prosperity. That is the gap RAAMP is closing.
“About 1,500 kilometres of rural roads have been completed. We are working toward delivering the remaining 2,500 kilometres by December 2026. While states are at different levels of implementation, the overall trajectory reflects improved delivery momentum and stronger coordination.
“These investments are already delivering: Faster movement of people and goods; improved access to markets; better connectivity to essential services. The true measure of success is impact on people.
“Over 11.5 million rural Nigerians (11,537,739) have directly benefited from improved access under RAAMP. This milestone reflects the commitment of this administration to ensuring that rural communities are not left behind under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“These improvement are enabling: Farmers to access markets more efficiently; Traders to expand economic activities; Communities to connect to opportunities and essential services; this is how improved connectivity translates into real outcomes for farmers, traders, and rural communities.
“We are connecting rural communities to opportunity, productivity, and growth.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of State noted that one of the most significant achievements under the Tinubu-led administration is “the strengthening of the sustainability framework” of the Project, which he disclosed that “Building on these achievements, the Federal Government has secured: USD 600 million for RAAMP Scale-Up, and USD 250 million from the Islamic Development Bank, wherefore, RAAMP-SU will: Consolidate reforms; Expand coverage; and ensure sustainability through institutional readiness.”
The performance of RAAMP under this administration has strengthened development partner confidence including; Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)-Supporting: Adamawa, Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, and Sokoto; European Investment Bank (EIB)-Supporting: Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Edo, and Taraba.
With financing support of €150 million, the EIB’s participation further strengthens the scale and impact of the Programme, reflecting growing international recognition of RAAMP as a credible and scalable national model.
He also commended State Governments for their continued commitment, particularly in: Providing counterpart funding; supporting implementation; and advancing institutional reforms.
Meanwhile, according to the Minister of State, 38 reform bills establishing RARA and SRF have been passed and assented to across states, adding that over 61,795 kilometres of rural roads have been digitized and uploaded in the Nigeria Rural Transport Infrastructure Management System, NiRTIMS.
The World Bank, AFD are also moving to complete 4,000km rural roads, in his remarks, the World Bank Task Team Lead, Rakesh Tripathi, said RAAMP has barely 18 months, which Tripathi, tasked other stakeholders to double efforts in full implementation to meet up with the deadline, saying that civil works are currently about 40 per cent completed, and that the construction should reach 100 per cent by December, which will dovetail into the scale-up phase.
He said, “It has never happened before in Nigeria, but I want this project to fully disburse at least one year before its closing date.”
In his remarks, the AFD Project Manager, Sally Abdo Ibrahim, noted that the project has moved from initial hiccups to firmer phase of implementation, which Ibrahim called on stakeholders to remain focused ensuring quality delivery and sustenance of reforms, as they are critical to leave a lasting impact.
“With about 18 months left, it is important to capitalise on current achievements and ensure the project closes with full delivery”, she said.
On his part, the National Coordinator, RAAMP, Engr Aminu Bodinga Mohammed, said the project is being implemented in 19 states, which had gone beyond its initial target of 8.2 million beneficiaries, reaching over 11 million Nigerians.
According to Mohammed, over 4,000 kilometres of rural roads have been awarded, with 1,500 kilometres completed while the remaining projects will be delivered before the end of 2026, adding that 39 agro-logistics centres are under construction across the country to support agricultural markets – storage, water, electricity, among others. He also said the centres are at about 40 per cent completed and will be delivered by mid-2026.
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