World Bank Approves $500m for Nigeria’s Rural Roads

4 days ago 6

The World Bank has approved a $500 million concessional loan to tackle Nigeria’s worsening rural road infrastructure.

The funding will be directed towards the Rural Access Agricultural Marketing Project-Scale Up (RAAMP-SU), which seeks to rehabilitate, upgrade, and maintain 6,500 kilometers of rural roads, benefiting over four million Nigerians.

This approval, announced on December 13, 2024, is part of an ongoing commitment by the World Bank to support Nigeria’s infrastructural development.

The loan is complemented by an additional $100 million contribution from the Nigerian government.

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Together, they aim to address the critical infrastructure gaps in rural communities, where 80% of the roads are currently classified as being in poor condition.

In a statement, the World Bank underscored the urgency of the project, noting that inadequate road infrastructure has become a major barrier to economic growth in rural areas.

Climate change-related factors, such as extreme heat and heavy rainfall, have exacerbated the damage to these vital roads, further hindering rural connectivity.

“Rural roads play a critical role in connecting agricultural land to market infrastructure, thereby helping to improve food security. Rural road interventions like the RAAMP-SU will enable socioeconomic development for isolated areas and act as a catalyst for the creation of growth centers,” said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.

The project also places a strong emphasis on gender equality, aiming to improve women’s access to healthcare and empower them economically.

As part of the plan, the RAAMP-SU will work closely with local institutions such as State Road Funds (SRF) and State Rural Access Roads Agencies (RARA), establishing a long-term strategy for road maintenance and infrastructure planning.