The Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has said that governors are committed to improving the livelihood of rural dwellers in their states.
Governor Yahaya noted the important role played by rural dwellers in food and livestock production in the country.
He said their contributions need to be appreciated by Governments at all levels by providing connectivity and access to boost their morale for sustainable economic growth.
The governor made this known at the launch of $575 million Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP, to provide roads for farmers and boost rural economy, which took place at the nation's capital, Abuja.
The project was officially launched by President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum.
RAAMP is an initiative of the Federal Government aimed at improving rural access and agriculture marketing in participating States and to strengthen the financing and institutional base for effective development, maintenance, and management of the rural road network.
The project is supported by the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and International Development Association (IDA).
This was contained in a statement signed by the spokesperson to the governor, Ismaila Uba Misilli on Wednesday.
According to the statement, governor Yahaya who spoke on behalf of other governors said: "About 80 to 85 per cent of Nigerians, especially in the North live in rural areas with agriculture as their major preoccupation.
"We have given this commitment and we shall continue to do so, and we are happy that the project will be scaled up to all the remaining states so that it can cover the whole of the country, which I believe the benefits are going to be enormous, especially in agricultural production which is an area that people are really engaged in", he added.
He further revealed that his administration had initiated a road revolution project- the network eleven hundred which seeks to provide at least one hundred kilometers of roads in each of the eleven Local Government Areas of Gombe State.
"The initiative which started in 2020 has so far covered a total of 320 kilometers of roads, criss-crossing the length and breath of the State, opening up rural areas for increased agricultural and socio-economic activities."
He further assured that the 36 state Governors will commit to smooth implementation of RAAMP in order to ensure food sufficiency and create employment opportunities.
Also speaking, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mahmood Abubakar said: "The project will be jointly financed by the International Development Association (IDA) with a contribution of $280 million; French Development Agency (AFD) is contributing $230 million, and the Government is contributing $65 million respectively."
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