Kwara State has been ranked the best in Nigeria for counterpart funding payment and overall disbursement under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank-supported initiative.
The announcement was made on Monday in Abuja during the 8th RAAMP Implementation Support Mission, which evaluates states’ progress in the project’s execution.
Reacting to the recognition, Kwara State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Abdulquawiy Olododo, described it as a major achievement for the state and 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.
According to him, Kwara State clinched two awards at the event.
“We won the overall best in counterpart funding among the 19 participating states. This means no state paid more counterpart funding to the programme than Kwara,” he explained.
“Kwara also emerged as the best in overall disbursement among the 13 states in our category, meaning we accessed the highest amount of funds from the World Bank and the French Development Bank. The evidence of this is visible, as construction works are ongoing on 209.77km of roads across the state,” he added.
RAAMP is a key initiative aimed at improving rural access roads and agricultural marketing infrastructure, fostering economic growth, and enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities.
Kwara’s performance in the programme underscores its growing reputation as a leader in infrastructure development and fiscal responsibility in Nigeria.