Utibe Udokang
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has secured additional World Bank scale-up funding for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a development that will significantly expand rural road construction and agricultural marketing infrastructure across the state.
Speaking when he appeared as guest on Arise Policy Thrust, a special programme on Premium 89.9FM Abak, the State Project Coordinator of RAAMP, Apostle Gideon Akpan, revealed that the approval followed the state’s strong performance in infrastructure delivery, project accountability and adherence to global development standards.
“Out of good performance, the World Bank said, get more funding and go another four good years,” Akpan stated.
Gideon Akpan explained that the scale-up will extend the project beyond its initial June 2026 timeline and allow the construction of between 300 and 500 additional kilometres of rural roads in the next phase.
Furthermore, Apostle Akpan noted that RAAMP has been fully mainstreamed into Governor Umo Eno’s ARISE Agenda, particularly under agriculture and rural development, with implementation domiciled in the Ministry of Agriculture and supported at the national level by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture through the Federal Project Management Unit and World Bank.
He described the initiative as a strategic intervention aimed at not just food security but to prevent post harvest loss, construct better storage and processing facilities and increase rural road access to urban markets, transforming farming into a profitable business.
“The Governor came up with this project to bridge the gap between the farm and the market,” Akpan stated.
Beyond road construction, Akpan said the RAAMP project is developing agro-logistics centres and mega markets across the state’s senatorial districts.
He shared that the facilities will include warehouses, processing centres, open sheds, lock-up shops, cold rooms and smoking facilities for fish and other aquatic products.
He explained that ICT units within the hubs will enable young people to monitor international market trends and support agricultural exports, especially in commodities such as crayfish and other seafood.
According to him, the goal is to position Akwa Ibom as a competitive player in both local and global agricultural markets.
On commercial agriculture, Akpan explained that the processing centres will help farmers move beyond subsistence farming by unlocking multiple value chains in crops such as oil palm and cassava.
Citing an example, the State Project Coordinator of RAAMP explained that oil palm alone has up to 18 derivative products, while cassava can be processed into industrial and pharmaceutical inputs.
“We will no longer stop at selling garri or palm oil alone,” he declared.
Addressing post-harvest losses, he divulged that over 5,000 kilometres of rural roads in the state have been digitally mapped and classified using the Nigerian Road Transport and Infrastructure Management System.
He further explained that this allows the government to determine which roads require full upgrading, backlog maintenance or spot improvement.
Apostle Akpan further disclosed that RAAMP roads are designed and executed using World Bank procurement and engineering standards, with co-funding from the World Bank and the French Development Agency.
He emphasized that RAAMP has adopted the Governor’s “no Christmas break for contractors” policy, to make the most of the dry season and advance projects as far as possible.
“contracts covering 202.2 kilometres have been awarded, with more than 54 kilometres already completed. ” he added.
On sustainability, Akpan said Governor Umo Eno approved the creation of the Rural Access Roads Agency (RARA) and a State Road Fund to ensure continuous maintenance of rural roads after donor funding ends, detailing road maintenance as a daily responsibility. “A road is like a beautiful shirt; you must clean it regularly,” he said.
He also revealed that the state is partnering with the International Labour Organisation, ILO to engage residents living along road corridors in routine maintenance work, with payments made through cooperatives and microfinance banks.
Adding that the initiative, is expected to create long-term employment in rural communities.
On employment figures, Akpan disclosed that RAMP has already created direct jobs for between 700 rural residents, with a policy mandating 70% local content for contractors.
Akpan stated that host communities are actively involved through monitoring committees, grievance redress systems and safeguards addressing environmental protection and gender-based violence.
“We engage communities before, during and after construction, ” he said.
He said that women constitute at least 40 percent of RAMP’s workforce and beneficiaries, while persons with disabilities are allocated up to 10 percent of job opportunities, stressing that development must be inclusive.
Gideon Akpan urged communities to continue submitting road assessment requests and support the state government’s development agenda, noting that sustained commitment is key to long-term success.
