From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Kwara State has been ranked as the best-performing state in Nigeria in counterpart funding payment for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP).
The announcement was made in Abuja on Monday during the 8th RAAMP Implementation Support Mission, which evaluates the progress of participating states as part of preparations for the new year.
Reacting to the recognition, the Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Abdulquawiy Olododo, described it as a testament to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s commitment to equitable development.
“This is a big win for our state. It shows how committed His Excellency has been to the cause of equitable development. This award is a confirmation of his efforts to develop our state,” Olododo said.
He further disclosed that Kwara State won two major awards at the session: the Best State in Counterpart Funding and Overall Disbursement Leader among participating states.
“We won overall best in counterpart funding among the 19 participating states. What this means is that no state paid more counterpart funding to the programme than Kwara. We also won the award for overall disbursement, meaning no state among the 13 states in our category accessed more funds from the World Bank and the French Development Bank than Kwara,” he added.
According to the commissioner, the impact of these investments is evident, with construction works ongoing on 209.77km of rural roads across the state.
