The World Bank and French Development Bank will partner the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government in the construction of 70 roads in the agrarian communities of the state to aid agriculture.
At a stakeholders’ meeting held on prioritisation of rural roads in agrarian council areas of the state in Saki town, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Agriculture, Ganiyat Olawoore, said the 70 rural roads with a length of over 700 kilometres would be constructed in 28 council areas in the state.
The governor said that the execution of the project would be based on priority and recommendation of community leaders in the areas. He said the project would help transportation of farm produce from the farm to distribution points.
The consultant in charge of the Rural Access and Mobility Project in the state, Abiola Sappor, said the construction of the selected rural roads would commence immediately after the World Bank and French Development Bank examined the report of the stakeholders’ meeting.
He added that the report would be presented to the two banks by the State Rural Access and Mobility Project Implementation Unit and National Coordinating Office of RAMP in Abuja.
The consultant commended members of the community for the support given to his team while carrying out survey on the selected rural roads and assured them of perfect execution of the project.
Project Coordinator in the state, Yode Ayanlowo, thanked the two foreign banks and the Federal Government for the proposed construction of the 70 roads, saying it was designed to ensure that farmers at rural areas had access to good road network to transport their farm produce to the market places with ease.