Kaduna gets World Bank's support on poverty eradication

THE World Bank supported Rural Access and Mobility Project has started touching the lives of communities in Kaduna State.The $60 million (N10.8b) projects entail the construction of 144 bridges and culverts in all local councils as well as construction and maintenance of 467 akm of rural roads in selected councils. So far about 100 bridges and culverts have been completed while contracts for road construction started in July 2011.While briefing Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowaon performance of the project, the Task Team Leader, Justin Runjisaid, 'Soon there will be well maintained rural road networks in both the Southern and Northern parts of the state, which will make the state a pace-setter in performance-based contract for other states.'Runji told the governor and his executive that the construction of the rural access roads in the state would enable farmers to evacuate farm products more efficiently and sell at better prices.According to Runji, the project will also build the capacity and skills of staff as well as increase the level of professionalism in road management and maintenance.He said the project will provide road construction laboratory equipment for quality control testing as well as vehicle weighing machines for overloading control as, according to him, overloading causes wear and tear on roads as well as accidents.In his response, Yakowa, who expressed appreciation to the World Bank for the project, said that opening up rural areas through access roads will benefit millions of people to have access to both rural and urban centres and ease movement of goods and farm products.'This project is very dear to my heart as it fits into my vision and priority of the state, which is infrastructural development to open up the numerous communities in the state,' Yakowasaid.He said the project has linked communities, reduced distances and cost of transportation, and enabled children, hitherto prevented by river flooding to attend schools regularly.'I will do all I can, including allocating counterpart funds, to ensure that the project continues unimpeded,'Yakowa assured the World Bank team.During the mid-term review of the project implementation, communities adjacent to the finished bridges and roads expressed their joy and confirmed that the project had started affecting their lives for the better.
Click here to read full news..