Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello has reiterated commitment to infrastructural development in rural areas in other to improve social economic activities in the state.

He expressed this at the flagging-off of the community-based Rural Roads Maintenance Scheme, held at Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Center, Minna.

Sani-Bello applauded the first phase of Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) in which 176 kilometres of rural roads were constructed, adding that the project had continued to enhance the economic growth of rural communities in line with the state government’s policies and programmes.

“It is pleasing to know that the project has been helping to enhance and empower our local communities through the community-based rural roads maintenance model which has been supporting us with the engagement of the people with the rehabilitation of the rural roads across the state.”

Sani Bello said that, by launching the second phase of RAMP, there is certainty that the deteriorating nature of the rural roads will be reversed in other to bring succour to our rural communities and, particularly our famers.

He also said that the state government would increase its capacity to reduce cost and increase road connection across the state stressing that the project wouldserve as a means of reducing rural poverty and enhance agricultural productivity.

Earlier the National Coordinator of RAMP, Engr. Ubandoma Ularamu explained that RAMP 2 is created to improve transportation conditions and bring sustained access to rural population through rehabilitating and maintaining key rural transport infrastructure in a sustainable manner.

He further stated that the community-based Maintenance Scheme being launched, with about 15 roads maintenance industrial cooperative groups, is a testimony of the employment generation drive of the present administration.

He said that to encourage RAMP participation in the state, the World Bank has taken up the challenges of the rural road maintenance by funding it 100 percent for the first two years, 50 percent for the third and fourth year, while the state government would only compliments the funding of the third and fourth year by 50 percent, after which it would take over 100 percent financing of the roads' maintenance.