Kogi Builds Modern Agro-Markets, Rural Roads to Boost Agriculture
Modern agro-market development in Kogi State under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project.
The Kogi State Government is constructing modern agro-markets and developing rural access roads to improve farmers’ access to buyers and strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the projects were designed to create a more efficient system for moving and marketing agricultural produce across the state.
Fanwo said increased agricultural production must be matched with reliable access to markets if farmers are to derive greater value from their efforts.
“Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo is committed to making Kogi a leading agricultural production hub and strengthening the state’s position as a major food basket of the nation. To achieve this, we must support our farmers from the point of production to the point of sale,” he said.
He explained that the state was investing in rural access roads and modern agro-markets to connect farming communities with buyers, improve the movement of farm produce and strengthen the agricultural value chain.
According to the commissioner, the State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is building modern markets across Kogi under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
He identified the market project at Ayegunle Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area as one of the ongoing interventions.
“The State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is building modern markets across the state under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project. The market at Ayegunle Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area is one of such projects,” Fanwo said.
“We are happy with the pace of work there, and the line Ministries are also doing a wonderful job of providing oversight to ensure that the project delivers the intended benefits to our rural communities.”
Fanwo said the modern agro-markets would provide meeting points for farmers, traders and buyers, allowing agricultural produce to be aggregated, displayed and sold more efficiently.
He added that rural access roads were equally important to the success of the initiative because they would facilitate the movement of produce from farms and settlements to the newly developed market hubs.
The commissioner said the combined investment in rural roads and modern markets reflected the administration’s approach to agricultural development, which he said required support for farmers throughout the production and marketing process.
Fanwo also commended the Executive Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area for providing what he described as an enabling and secure environment for the execution of the Ayegunle Bunu project.
“Let me also commend the Executive Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area for providing an enabling and secure environment for the contractor to do a beautiful job,” he said.
“What we have in Kogi State is a government for the rural people.”
The commissioner said the projects were expected to strengthen rural economies by improving market access, encouraging agricultural production and creating better opportunities for farmers and other participants in the agricultural value chain across Kogi State.
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