The Federal Project Management Unit (FPMU) of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has commended Ekiti State for its commitment to ensuring that the RAAMP project is sustainably implemented.

Speaking in Ikole Ekiti after an inspection tour of some of the project sites, FPMU’s Environmental Safeguard Officer, Dr Adegboyega Lawal said the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) has complied with most of the recommendations of the FPMU, thereby enabling the unit to record success on the project.

Lawal who noted the need for adjustments to cater for the challenges posed by climate change expressed satisfaction that the SPIU had equally noted these areas and are already brainstorming for solutions by improving the existing designs.

The Environmental Specialist who expressed optimism that the project in Ekiti State would not fail added that the SPIU had constantly worked in synergy with the FPMU and the collaboration would make any identified challenges surmountable.

He stressed that though the work is still at its preliminary stage, there are indications that it has prospect that it would be durable when completed.

Lawal urged contractors handling the remaining 13 of the 15 roads to emulate those handling the roads inspected, by imbibing world best practices.

“ESMP and RAP implementation in Ekiti State is ongoing because it is a continuous process but from what we have seen here, it shows that the SPIU is committed to ensuring that the project is sustainably implemented and most of the recommendations we have given them and most of the trainings they have received in the SPIU and most of the awareness and information we have disseminated have been complied with to a large extent.”

“All the roads that have been screened have environmental impacts in terms of the impact of climate change on the project environment. We have observed that there are some areas we need to build more resilience in terms of improving on the existing designs because the earlier design might not have factored in some areas that need to be addressed with respect to river flow and hydrological patterns in the state to address incessant erosion and gullies that can affect the viability of the project. We have made some observations and we are glad that even the SPIUs have already observed same even before we came. That shows there is synergy and we are thinking alike, and we are sure that once those areas are addressed, these roads will be very durable and in the next ten years, we will come back and still see the roads standing strong without any failure”, he said.

Speaking on the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) aspect of the project, FPMU’s Gender Advisor, Mrs Joan Sani-Lawan commended the SPIU and contractors for signing the code of conduct for workers on the project as well as sensitizing the project benefiting community on the dangers of GBV.

She said the gestures are an indication that Ekiti State has put in place both mitigating and preventive measures for any potential occurrence of Gender-Based Violence.

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Also speaking at the end of the tour, the Managing Director of the construction company handling Ikole-Ikoyi-Igbemo road, Messrs Delko Nig Ltd, Mr Femi Aluko said his company would not derail from the workplan for the project as the company had put machinery in motion to ensure the road is completed on cost and in time.

Aluko disclosed that the company had deployed its workforce in different gangs and also using precast concrete for the line drain in order to fast track the job.

The FPMU’s Safeguard team was conducted round 5.31km Ise-Imola road and 19.68km Ikole-Isaba-Ikoyi-Igbemo road by the State Project Coordinator, Hon. Sunday Adunmo as well as the Safeguard team in Ekiti RAAMP.

It is recalled that Ekiti State had in July and November 2024 awarded 15 rural roads for construction in the State.