Adeleke Flags Off Construction Of 84KM Rural Roads In Osun

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has Inaugurated the construction and rehabilitation of 84 kilometers of rural roads in the state in line with his pledge to continue to take development to the grassroots.

While flagging off the rehabilitation on Monday at the Methodist High School, Aagba, Adeleke said construction of the rural roads was a demonstration of his commitment to ensuring improved livelihood of the people, both in the cities and the rural communities.

According to the governor, it’s the determination of his administration to link rural communities with the nearest markets and urban areas in order to boost the economic and social development of the people.

CityMirrorNews reports that Government is constructing 84km rural roads through Osun Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (Osun RAAMP)

Represented by the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Hon. Teslim Igbalaye, Adeleke said that the ceremony marks a significant milestone of his administration’s commitment to enhancing rural infrastructure and supporting agricultural development.

Adeleke emphasized his administration’s dedication to improving food security and reducing poverty, particularly in Osun’s rural communities where access roads are often lacking.

He highlighted that the state’s agrarian nature necessitates improved road infrastructure to connect farmers to markets, thereby boosting both the economy and social development. The 84 kilometers of roadworks, funded in partnership with the World Bank, are part of a broader initiative to construct 240 kilometers of rural roads across the state.

“This administration is fully committed to ensuring food security and reduction of poverty especially in the rural communities where it is predominant. One of the major vehicle to achieving food sufficiency, is the provision of ‘‘Access roads’’ to rural communities.”

The Governor underscored the government’s efforts to support rural farmers, citing recent initiatives such as the procurement of 31 tractors for farming activities across the state’s local governments.

He, however, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the RAAMP project, noting recent legislative achievements including the passage of bills on the Rural Access Road Agency (RARA) and the State Road Fund (SRF).

I’m her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on RAAMP, Hon. Moji Omisore, appreciated the State Government for the unparalleled and unflinching support given to the Project to operate by meeting all the requirements of the Donor Partners.

Omisore said: “It is on record that His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Osun State upon assuming the mantle of leadership in the State worked assiduously in ensuring the successful migration of the State RAMP-2 to RAAMP with the Project receiving massive support in the area of road sector reforms with the executive assent to the two laws on road sector reforms which was championed by the Project through the support of the Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) RAAMP”.

She equally eulogised the contributions of the Donor Partners which is in tandem to the vision and mission of the present administration in the area of rural development through different categories of interventions.

“Grassroot development is key to our administration due to the importance attached to the 70% of our people living in the rural areas forming the larger percentage of the State’s population therefore all hands must be on deck to ensuring its infrastructural development”.

The National Coordinator of RAAMP, Engr. Aminu Bodinga Mohammed, thanked the Osun State Government for the support being enjoyed by the Project and gave the overview of the Project.

He stressed that solid support from the State Government coupled with the excellent performance of the State in RAMP-2 enabled the State to be included in the six additional states to the initial thirteen States making it nineteen states participating in the Project.

He admonished the State Government to continue supporting the Project so as to perform exceedingly in the present dispensation.

The Task Team Leader of the Project in the World Bank, Engr. Tunji Ahmed, gave a goodwill message from the Donor Partners; other goodwill messages were delivered by Alhaji Ganiyu Ayobami Olaoluwa, the Honourable Commissioner for Rural Development and Community Affairs as well as Hon, Abdulrasaq Olohunde, the Senior Special Assistant on RAAMP.

List of the communities of the corridor of the road are ; Ogberin-Ede, Ilori, Ota-Geere, Ayekale, Asipade, Asipade-Iyaloja, Egbeda, Oluyinka Oju-Ona, Oyada, Ooye, Iya-Odan, Oluyinka-Gbade, Oloba, Gboore, Daudu Lagunju, Olooto, Idi-Aka, Fatoke, Araromi, Akinbode, Loogun, Isimi, Osun, Alaadun, Olusokun, Gaga, Mobi, Oluyinka-Oluwin, Oyetunde, Babanla, Ologburo, Ojude, Olunbe, Idi-Osan, Apeloko and Lasole, Ode-Omu among others.