Ogun State’s implementation of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has acknowledged a strong commendation from the World Bank, with indications that the State is on track for timely delivery and could serve as a model for others.
This was made known during a meeting between a delegation, led by the World Bank, alongside the Federal Project Management Unit, led by the National Coordinator and the State Project Implementation Unit with the Ogun State Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Hon. Dapo Okubadejo.
Speaking during the high-powered team visit, the World Bank Representative, Ms. Ajara Ceesay, reaffirmed the Bank’s continued support for the project, expressing satisfaction with the level of improvement recorded in Ogun State.
According to her, this performance could serve as a strong benchmark for the broader RAAMP scale-up, noting that the State was well positioned to be among the first to deliver on the project.
Earlier, National Coordinator, Engr. Aminu Mohammed, noted that the technical mission was a standard practice designed to assess project performance across participating states. He explained that the exercise had provided an opportunity to offer guidance and technical support, foster collaboration and ensure value for money, compliance with standards as well as adherence to project timelines.
He added that it also helps stakeholders gain a clear understanding of developments on the ground.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser, Hon. Dapo Okubadejo, described RAAMP as a very important intervention that aligned with the State’s development agenda, known as ISEYA.
He noted that Ogun State is largely agrarian, with over 70 percent of its land suitable for agriculture and a significant proportion of its population engaged in food crop production, adding that the State had invested heavily in agricultural initiatives and reforms aimed at boosting productivity.
The Commissioner further explained that road infrastructure being constructed under RAAMP had helped to reduce post-harvest losses by improving access to markets for farmers, an initiative that had improved the State’s economic growth.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator, Engr. Waheed Adejumo, explained that the purpose of the technical mission visit was to assess the physical progress of ongoing works, evaluate accessibility and ensure readiness for inspection and eventual commissioning.