Emmanuel Ikpeama
Lokoja,Kogi—The Kogi State Government has stepped up efforts to transform rural agriculture with the construction of modern agro-markets and farm-to-market roads aimed at linking farming communities to buyers and boosting food production.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo,made this known in a statement on Monday.
He said the initiative is designed to create an efficient agricultural system that improves the movement, aggregation and marketing of farm produce across the state.
Fanwo explained that the development of rural markets and access roads is central to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s agenda to make Kogi a leading agricultural hub.
“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 stated.
“This is why the State Government is investing in rural access roads and modern agro-markets that will connect farming communities to buyers, improve the movement of farm produce and create a more efficient agricultural value chain.”
The Commissioner said the projects are being implemented in collaboration with the World Bank under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project, RAAMP.
He cited the ongoing modern market at Ayegunle Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area as one of the flagship interventions.
“The State Government, in collaboration with the World Bank, is building modern markets across the state under RAAMP.
The market at Ayegunle Bunu in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area is one of such projects. We’re happy with the pace of work there,” Fanwo said.
He added that the modern agro-markets will provide structured spaces for farmers, traders and buyers to aggregate, display and sell produce, while the rural access roads will ease the evacuation of goods from farms to market hubs.
Fanwo described the combined investment in roads and markets as proof of the Ododo administration’s integrated approach to agricultural development.
He also commended the Executive Chairman of Kabba/Bunu LGA for ensuring a secure and enabling environment for 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. What we have in Kogi State is a government for the rural people,” he said.
According to the Commissioner, the projects will strengthen rural economies, encourage higher agricultural output, and create better opportunities for farmers and other players in the agricultural value chain across Kogi State.
