By Sule Aliyu Bauchi
Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammad, launched the construction of rural road projects, aimed at opening up remote communities, improving transportation, and strengthening agricultural markets across the 20 LGAs in the state
Governor however disclosed how he did not find life easy while growing up because of the lack of access roads in his rural community of Duguri.
Speaking at Tashan Durumi, in Toro LGA, during the inauguration of the 26.8km Mararaba Liman Katagum–Polchi Katsinawa rural road under the World Bank and the French Development Agency, Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) scheme.
Muhammad reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing quality access roads to rural and hard-to-reach communities.
He said the initiative reflects the state’s dedication to improving livelihoods, enhancing mobility, and building stronger social and economic ties across local communities
The governor declared that lack of accessible roads made his pursuit of education extremely difficult as a young boy.
Kauran Bauchi explained, “Just like me that I had to trek from Maina-Ma'aji and sometimes from Dindima to Duguri on foot, I know where the shoe pinches, some of us suffered to be educated and we will not allow the younger ones to suffer the way we did and that’s why we are doing these roads.
“Today we are here, this road is in my heart. from Tashan Durumi to Katsinawa, and to Polchi and Mararaban Liman Katagum is about 28.8 km. We are doing that because Mararaban Liman Katagum has become a market place of repute, all our agricultural produce sometimes comes from the South Eastern part of Alkaleri LGA and they need to find their ways to Jos and other places in the country, and that’s why we are building these roads to connect these market people.”
“The market will consume about N3.1 billion because Mararaban Liman Katagum has become a centre of commerce, and that is why we rebuilt the road up to Liman Katagum and we have the intention of building the road up to Bununu and Tafawa Balewa”, he said.
“The programme aligns 100 percent with his administration’s vision as incapsulated in the My Bauchi Project 1 and 2, where we seek to open up our rural people and expose them to prosperity because the majority of them live in the rural areas.”
He decried that for years, the rural communities have been suffering in agony and cannot take their farm produce to the next market, even if they have cows and carts, they have to push it for kilometers and that is why whatever they grow is not giving adequate pricing.
He stressed that, “The same thing with their farm produce, the sick ones are taken to the healthcare centre on foot, and before they get there it is too late, there is no road during the rainy season, our students cannot go to school, especially those in secondary schools.”
Muhammad stressed that road connectivity is essential for development and pledged continuous investment in rural infrastructure.
He also urged traditional rulers to support contractors and help safeguard ongoing road projects through vigilance and intelligence sharing.
The Governor who said that road will be constructed from Gadan Maiwa to Zakara, one of the agricultural areas, disclosed that a new market will be build to the sum of N2.1 billion.
He said that the market when constructed, will enhance the agricultural market in the state.
The roads include the 4.91 km Gadar Maiwa-Zakara road, 25km Dagu-Ningi road, 8.86km Nabordo- Gadan Doka -Jama’a road, 36.65km Dott-Dado-Baraza road, 6.71km Mararaban Dajin – Dajin road and 26.8km Mararaban Liman Katagum – Polchi – Katsinawa road.
In September 2023, the Governor launched the pilot phase of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) in the state with the inauguration of the 19km Luda-Lekka Road.
RAAMP is supported by the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD), in which its implementation is a collaboration between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Bauchi State Government.
The governor assured that all the roads would be asphalted in order to last over 50 years.
The Phase l and Phase ll projects are being implemented by the state government with collaboration with the federal government.
Also inaugurated on Tuesday are the 4.91km Gadar Maiwa–Zakara road, the 25km Dagu–Ningi road, the 0.86km Nabordo–Gadan Doka–Jama’a road, the 36.65km Dott–Dado–Baraza road, and the 6.71km Mararraban Dajin–Dajin road.
Earlier on day one the governor also flagged off the construction of hundreds of kilometres of rural in Bauchi North in Gamawa.
He lamented that rural residents had suffered, and continued to suffer, due to the absence of motorable roads across many parts of the state.
According to him, the new roads will open up rural communities, improve economic activities, and reduce the hardship faced by farmers and residents who struggle to transport their goods to markets or move sick animals for veterinary care.
The road inauguration came amid heightened insecurity in the country. Although Bauchi remains one of the relatively secure states in the North-East, Bala Mohammed said such stability must be protected.
“I urge you to support contractors, remain vigilant, and provide intelligence for security and safety,” he appealed.
According to him, “Anyone harbouring criminals or enabling insecurity will face the full weight of the law. Security is sacrosanct, which is what gives us the confidence to go to the farthest parts of the state and work.”
The governor noted that his administration, since 2019, has worked with stakeholders to place Bauchi on the path to becoming the leading economy in the North-East and one of the top ten in Nigeria.
He said prudence, accountability, and reforms have helped attract investors and secure alternative funding.
“People ask where we get resources. The answer is simple: we trust in God, embrace leadership as a trust, close leakages, reform governance, and leverage our federal experience to secure alternative funding.
“That is why you see RAAMP working here even though we are in the opposition. Today, we are a leading state,” he stated.
Governor Bala also acknowledged colleagues at the federal level for their support, saying their collaboration has enabled Bauchi to access multiple development opportunities, including ACReSAL and other national programmes End
