ibironkeeniola 
The Kogi State Government has signed a pact with the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) valued at $62 million and $10 million respectively, to boost over 500 kilometres of rural roads.
The development comes even as the state sets sight on championing agricultural development to boost revenue generation.
This was disclosed in a release by Mohammed Onogu, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Yahaya Bello, on Friday.
According to him, the IFAD programme is an Assisted Value Chain Development Programme aimed at promoting agricultural and economic transformation, while addressing poverty and food security issues.
The IFAD programme, he explained, will focus on the production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in targeted Local Government Areas in the state.
“The programme is made up of three basic components which are: Agricultural Market development, to support value addition, market linkages and support to market infrastructure and to build a very strong agribusiness and value chain orientation to farmers in rural communities,” the statement explained.
Meanwhile, the World Bank loan would be used to develop agriculture logistic centres and rural connectivity infrastructure.
The loan, for Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), will upgrade over 500 kilometres of rural roads, improve agro-logistics centres as well as enhance connectivity and access to local markets and agribusiness services in the state.
The statement further explained that the project is to be jointly funded by the World Bank, French Development Agency and the Federal Government.
SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA