The Oyo State government has signed an agreement with contractors for the execution of 68-kilometre rural access road projects under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).

The state commissioner for agriculture and rural development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, signed phase I of the contract agreement with the contractors on Friday in Ibadan.

In his address, Mr Olaleye explained that signing the RAAMP interventions comprised a backlog of maintenance/rehabilitation and cross-drainage structures.

According to him, RAAMP is a major rural transport intervention project funded by the federal government and development partners like the World Bank and the French Development Agency.

“It is an inclusion of farms in the local agricultural market connectivity programme, connecting farmers to agro-logistics hubs.

“It equally strengthens the financial and institutional base for sustainability, as well as enhancing road safety, project management and institutional development support,” he said.

According to the commissioner, one of the project’s objectives is the provision of improved all-weather access to road networks of 8.0 metres in width in selected and prioritised rural development areas.

Others he mentioned include rehabilitation/upgrading and repairs of selected prioritised river crossings throughout the state and improvement of access to transport services for the state’s rural population, among others.

Mr Olaleye said if the objectives were fulfilled, the much-envisaged reduction in post-harvest losses and provision of all-year-round transportation would be attained.

The commissioner added that the projects, when completed, would improve economic activities, ease and make mobility cheaper in the rural communities.

He then charged the contracting firms not to compromise standards, saying that the design specifications and contract duration should be strictly adhered to.

The commissioner said the Federal Projects Monitoring Units, the state government and the benefitting communities would all serve as supervisors in contract execution.

The 30.3-kilometre road network of Fashola Farm Settlement and Olokoyo Junction to Ikere Junction is among the rural access roads awarded.

Dephanny Ventures Ltd, CGC Nig. Ltd., and Coastline Engineering Ltd are among the companies that signed the agreement.

Responding on behalf of the contractors, the South-West Business Director, CGC Nig Ltd, Shao Finguu, promised to deliver quality and timely projects.

(NAN)