Nigeria, World Bank, AfDB collaborates to construct 700kms roads in Kano

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank is to construct 700 kilometers of rural roads in Kano State.

Ubandoma Umarama, the National Coordinator, Federal Projects Monitoring Unit, disclosed this at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop in Kano on Monday.

The workshop is on identification of intervention areas and selection of high priority rural roads for the ADB/World Bank-funded RAMP III in Kano State.

Umarama, who was represented by Mr Aminu Mohammed, said the project was an initiative of the federal government, which when completed would address the challenges being faced by rural communities in terms of access roads.

According to him, no fewer than seven states are currently benefitting from the initiative which is being funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank (ADB).

The current benefitting states, the national coordinator said, include: Adamawa, Cross River, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna and Osun.

“The federal government is playing an intermediary role in the projects which is expected to enhance socio-economic activities of the benefitting communities,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Gov Abdullahi Ganduje said the project was in line with his administration’s commitment to improve the socio-economic activities of rural dwellers.

He said the state had recently awarded contract for the construction of 500 kilometers of rural roads across the 44 local government areas of the state.

Ganduje said this was as part of efforts to open the rural areas for economic development.

“Rural infrastructural development is aimed at lifting the living standard of rural dwellers, hence our decision to provide the roads for easy access to these areas.

“These projects, when completed, would not only link the areas to the local and state headquarters, but would also enable rural farmers to transport their farm produce to various markets in the state,’’ the governor said.

Alhaji Usman Ririwai, the state Commissioner for Water Resources and Rural Development, commended the federal government for the initiative.

Ririwai said that many communities in the state had suffered a lot due to lack of access roads.

The workshop was attended by representatives of associations, village and ward heads, among others.