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The World Bank and French Development Agency have said that the ongoing Rural Access and Mobility (RAMP-2) road project will open up rural areas for improved economic activities in Enugu State.
The Task Team Leader for World Bank, Mr Tesfa Nahusenay, told newsmen in Enugu on Sunday after inspecting the ongoing 116-kilometres of rural roads in the three senatorial zones of the state.
Tesfa noted that the rural roads would create access to farming communities in the state and would allow farmers and rural people to move their farm produce and other commodities to the urban areas.
He noted that the roads would also allow the government and its development partners to easily move farm inputs, farming support and information to the farmers in their various localities in the state.
“This project is almost five years, but we have resolved to finish the first 116 km rural roads this year hopefully.
“Then we willmove over to complete the remaining 384 km of the rural roads.
“The rural roads will have all the perimeters and feature of a modern road, which includes drains, but will not be asphalted.
“However, we believe that in the near future, the state government can decide to asphalt them and convert them to normal conventional roads,’’ he said.
According to him, the communities benefitting from the rural road projects have been cooperating with contractors on site.
The Acting Coordinator of the project, Mr James Ugwu, said that the state government had paid its counterpart fund for the project.
Ugwu said that with the present commitment of the state government, the 500 km rural roads under the projects scattered in various communities would be delivered within the next two years.
“We are looking at finishing the project before two years God willing.
“However, we have to meet up with construction of many river crossing and culverts.
“We are also going to contract the road maintenance to group of locals, who will be paid a stipend of N20,000 to ensure that the roads remain intact and not overtaken by weeds and shrubs,’’ he said.
RAMP-2 has started paying compensation to farmers and shrine owners affected by the 500 kilometres road project.
The project is funded on a tripartite arrangement between the World Bank, French Development Agency and Enugu State Government.
