The Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), a World Bank-funded project, is to construct 534 kilometres of rural roads across Benue to facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce.

The state project coordinator, Stephen Numbeve, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Makurdi.

Mr Numbeve said the project would also construct warehouses across the state to store agricultural produce.

“We prioritised the development of engineering road designs for the 534 kilometres of roads we intend to construct. Surveys, geophysical studies, and final designs have been completed. With all these in place, we are ready to move forward once the funds are available.

“These roads will connect farms to markets, enabling farmers to transport their produce with ease. Beyond roads, we plan to build warehouses where farmers can store fresh or dry produce securely. This infrastructure will significantly boost agricultural productivity and market access.

“The roads span across all local governments in the state. However, there is no specific allocation or sequence for the 534 kilometres. These are not trunk A or trunk B roads, which are federal and state roads, respectively. Instead, they are trunk C or D roads designed to create access for farmers to reach markets,” he added.

The World Bank official said the slight delay in the commencement of the roads was caused by the previous administration’s nonpayment of the counterpart fund.

He stated that when he assumed office, there was also the issue of inadequate office accommodation.

According to him, the previous administrative setup did not meet the International Technological Association (ITA) standards.

He said they required an exclusive office space to avoid undue political influence.

(NAN)