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The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development says it has installed 20,124 units of solar electrification facilities with a combined capacity of 1.21 megawatts and constructed 105 classrooms, as well as 15 public toilets.
FMARD, which is the arm of the Federal Government responsible for the development of agriculture in Nigeria, said it constructed the above projects in various rural areas across the country between 2015 and 2022.
It disclosed this in a document obtained by our correspondent from the ministry in Abuja, which was put together by the ministry’s Department of Rural Development.
The agric ministry also revealed that it constructed rural roads during the period under review, a task that is majorly undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
Although the document did not state the amount expended on these projects, it stated that the facilities were delivered under the Capital Appropriation, Constituency and intervention funds.
The document read in part, “From 2016 to 2022, under Capital Appropriation, Constituency and intervention funds for the implementation of the rural infrastructure projects, the department constructed 1,583.2km rural roads.
“The department provided and installed 1,530 units solar powered/motorised boreholes and water treatment plants, provided and installed 20,124 units (1.207MW) solar electrification facilities, constructed 22 rural farm markets, 105 classrooms, 15 public toilets and 10 green houses.”
Data in the document showed that out of the total demand for rural roads construction during the period, the FMARD was able to meet 29.4 per cent, leaving a deficit of 70.6 per cent.
The average per year was put at 23.24 per cent, while the deficit was 76.76 per cent.
It stated that out of the estimated 132,000km of rural roads, representing 68 per cent of Nigeria’s total road network, only 10 per cent had been developed for effective transportation, leaving rural to depend mostly on walking or trekking as a means of transportation.
“This form of transport limits their access to markets, value addition facilities, social amenities and increases the level of poverty among them,” the FMARD stated.
It added, “The poor rural roads network induces the high cost of transportation; reduces ability to access high-quality inputs; limits the use of local markets for sales of their produce as well as the purchase of consumer goods and opportunities for off-farm employment.
“Poor road access has, nevertheless, put constraints for the rural poor in terms of access to other social infrastructures such as education and health facilities.”
It stated that rural access roads played a crucial role in promoting economic, social and cultural development, as improvement in road connectivity would encourage the production of perishable agricultural produce.
To clear concerns on why the agric ministry got involved in power, works and water projects, which should be handled by the Federal Ministries of Power, Works and Water Resources, the FMARD explained that the delivered facilities were not outside the mandate of its rural development department.
It said the department was envisioned to accelerate the transformation of the nation’s rural life and landscape through the provision of basic infrastructure on a sustainable basis.
It named the infrastructures to include the construction and rehabilitation of rural feeder roads, boreholes, mini water treatment plants, and provision of solar-powered and conventional electricity.
Others include the construction of farm markets, mini-irrigation systems, capacity development of the rural dwellers on non-farm enterprises, and funding of entrepreneurship growth of the rural youths.
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