The World Bank will construct rural roads covering 458km in 19 local government areas of Kaduna State, an official said on Wednesday. Mr Musa Tete, the Kaduna State World Bank Project Coordinator for Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP), made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.

Tete said contracts for the construction of the roads would soon be awarded and expressed hope that the project would help ease the transportation of farm produce from rural communities to markets. He said the Bank had so far spent over N1.4 billion on the construction of 132 bridges across the 23 local government areas of the state with the aim of opening up rural communities and link them to urban centres.

He further said that the roads and bridges would enhance the transportation of farm produce to markets. The coordinator said that the Kaduna State Government was funding 20 per cent of RAMP, which is aimed at bringing development to rural areas.

He said the project would be completed in March next year, adding that the contractors had sufficient time to deliver quality job.

Tete noted that the bulk of the state’s wealth was derived from agriculture and other natural resources that were found in commercial quantities in rural areas.