Ekiti State is set to witness significant progress as the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) is scheduled to commence construction on identified rural roads. The State’s Project Coordinator, Hon. Sunday Adunmo, made this announcement during a one-day sensitization training session. The project staff held these sessions in the state capital, Ado Ekiti, to prepare for the upcoming construction activities.
Adunmo assured that rural communities would soon witness road construction work. He clarified that the delay in project commencement. The delay was due to the need to adhere to the procedures mandated by the World Bank, the donor partner. The World Bank places a high value on due process and transparency.
Proposed Commencement Date Of The Scheduled Rural Road Construction In Ekiti State.
Adunmo disclosed that they will commence construction work on the roads by the end of October 2023. They have received the engineering designs for twelve rural roads totaling 77 kilometers. Ekiti State officially became part of the participating states last August, meeting all the necessary conditions for the project. Additionally, the project office recently opened tenders for consultancy services. The services were to design and supervise the spot improvement of 122 kilometers of rural roads in phase one. There were plans to advertise for the upgrading of rural roads next year.
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The Ekiti State rural road construction completion program also included a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) awareness initiative for project staff. Adunmo stressed the importance of preventing GBV within projects benefitting communities. Additionally, he added that, even a single reported case could impede project progress. He emphasized that all project staff and contractors must commit to a code of conduct.
During the sensitization training, the project’s GBV Officer, Mrs. Bunmi Adeosun, delivered lectures on labor influx, sexual harassment, and background information on GBV. At the conclusion of the program, project staff signed a code of conduct affirming their commitment to preventing Gender-Based Violence and violence against children.
