The federal government has reiterated its commitment to improving rural access roads and agricultural markets to enhance food production nationwide.

Aminu Mohammed, national coordinator of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), stated this on Thursday at the Early Market Engagement Forum under RAAMP Scale-Up in Abuja.

He said that this would be achieved by rehabilitating rural roads, upgrading market infrastructure, and enhancing the institutional framework for rural road management.

“The scale-up phase presents expanded opportunities, but it also demands higher levels of professionalism, efficiency, and compliance with international best practices.

”This is why we believe strongly in early engagement with the market to ensure that all prospective partners are well-informed, adequately prepared, and fully aligned with the project’s expectations,” he said.

Mr Mohammed said RAAMP is a transformative project jointly funded by the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the federal and participating state governments.

” Today’s gathering is not merely a formality but a strategic step in preparing the ground for successful and impactful delivery of rural infrastructure and services across Nigeria.

”This forum provides a unique platform to foster transparency, enhance understanding, and build mutual expectations between the implementing authorities and the market actors contractors,” he added.

Others are suppliers and consultants who will be instrumental in the actualisation of RAAMP’s objectives.

”Together, we can ensure that this project delivers sustainable results that truly transform our rural communities,” he said.

Earlier, Bukar Musa, the director of the Project Coordinating Unit (PCU), stated that the event marked a critical step in preparing the market for upcoming procurement opportunities with the support of the World Bank and other development partners.

“RAAMP is a flagship intervention aimed at improving rural infrastructure, enhancing connectivity, and boosting agricultural value chains across our states.

”With the scale-up phase, we are expanding our reach, deepening our impact, and embracing innovative procurement approaches to ensure transparency, efficiency, and value for money,” he said.

Mr Musa, in a presentation on early market engagement, explained that it is a common business term used to describe organised interactions between a buyer and a prospective supplier outside the actual bidding process.

He said rehabilitation and upgrading are two types of interventions under RAAMP.

Mr Musa said rehabilitation intervention covers roads with poor physical conditions due to long-term maintenance while upgrading intervention is done on unpaved roads that provide access to areas of high socio-economic activity.

(NAN)