By Ojotule Romanus
Kogi Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (KG-RAAMP), has embarked on a community engagement initiative geared towards strengthening partnership with stakeholders in the state.
This is part of on-going efforts to establish community-based Road Maintenance Groups across project intervention areas.
The initiative aims to curb vandalism and ensure the long-term sustainability of development projects such as roads amongst others.
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So far, it has continued to attract positive results as the people the rural communities visited across Kogi State reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding the road infrastructure provided under the Kogi Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (KG-RAAMP).
The development marks a significant step in RAAMP’s sustainability strategy, which seeks to ensure that rehabilitated and newly constructed rural roads continue to serve farming communities, traders, and other road users long after project completion.
At various sensitization meetings held across the state’s intervention communities, stakeholders—including traditional rulers, community leaders, market women, youth groups, and farmers—unanimously pledged their support for the initiative. They assured the project of their readiness to protect the roads from misuse and actively participate in maintenance efforts.
Many of the stakeholders described the roads as life-changing investments that have improved access to markets, reduced transportation challenges, enhanced economic activities, and generally improved the quality of life in their communities. They stressed that preserving the infrastructure has become a collective responsibility and promised to work closely with the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) to ensure the roads remain functional for future generations.
Speaking during the sensitization exercise, the State Project Coordinator of KG-RAAMP, Engineer Sheidu Adamu, explained that the formation of the Road Maintenance Groups is designed to strengthen community ownership of the road assets and guarantee their long-term sustainability.
Represented by team leaders deployed to the three senatorial districts, the coordinator noted that the composition of the maintenance groups aligns with the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which promote inclusiveness and equal opportunity. According to him, special consideration is being given to women, persons living with disabilities, vulnerable groups, and other able-bodied members of the communities.
He emphasized that the benefits of RAAMP extend beyond road construction, describing the project as a comprehensive rural development intervention that is transforming livelihoods and opening up economic opportunities across Kogi State.
Engineer Adamu also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for his unwavering commitment to rural development and infrastructural transformation, while acknowledging the leadership and support of the Commissioner for Rural and Energy Development, Engineer Abdulmutalib Mohammed, in driving the project’s objectives.
The ongoing formation of the maintenance groups follows a recent visit by officials of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), who engaged the SPIU on community-based road maintenance mechanisms and the modalities for implementing the programme.
For many rural dwellers, the initiative represents more than a maintenance exercise; it is a practical demonstration of community ownership, a safeguard for public investment, and a pathway to sustaining the gains already recorded through RAAMP’s interventions across Kogi State.
