Bayelsa group meets World Bank conditions on agric project

The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project in Bayelsa State, which is funded by the World Bank and the French Development Agency, claims that it has satisfied all requirements for the bank to declare it operational in the state.

The RAAMP is a World Bank project intended to provide access roads for rural farmers, enhance market infrastructure, and encourage post-harvest agro-logistics in rural areas.

Dr. Paul Ebienfa, the state’s RAAMP project coordinator, said this in Yenagoa. He said that after Governor Douye Diri established the State Project Implementation Unit in January 2022, the project coordinating unit received a list of conditions that needed to be met before the World Bank would declare the project to be effective.

“As I speak with you, we have complied with all requirements set forth by the World Bank for the project’s declaration of effectiveness. Among other things, he stated, “These prerequisites include the availability of a suitable office space and a prioritisation analysis of rural routes that may affect farmers after intervention.

He claimed that the procedure was made easier by Diri’s quick distribution of the counterpart monies and the provision of office space for the project.

He continued by saying that the governor’s commitment was a sign that farmers would soon be able to easily transport their farm products to markets.