Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has emphasized the crucial role of agriculture in sustaining citizens’ livelihoods and driving economic growth, describing it as the backbone of the state’s economy.

During the groundbreaking ceremony of the 3.5km Ebute Ipare-oke rural road project in Ilaje local government area, Governor Aiyedatiwa highlighted his administration’s focus on transforming rural areas through infrastructure projects, especially road construction and rehabilitation.

The Governor noted that the rural road project will ensure a steady supply of food from farms to urban areas, raise the socioeconomic status of rural residents, and address the economic gap between rural and urban areas.

He also announced the establishment of nine Agro-Logistics Centers across the three senatorial districts, with Ebute Ipare to Oke-Ipare selected as one of the beneficiaries.

In addition to the Ilaje project, groundbreaking ceremonies have taken place in Oda and Idanre towns within the Central Senatorial District, as well as in Molege, Owo, in the Northern Senatorial District.

Contractors handling these projects have intensified work, attributed to the state’s timely payment of counterpart funds for the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a collaboration with the World Bank and the French Development Agency.

The Director General of Ondo RAAMP, Adeniyi Adelabu, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for honoring his promise to establish road links between rural areas and urban centers, addressing the primary challenge of poor road infrastructure in rural areas.