Iyale-Ogane Nigu rural dwellers known for good farming, not only for family consumption but for commercial purposes, have long been left abandoned. Right from the old Kwara state to Benue state, and until now. If history serves me right, Iyale-Ogane Nigu road was graded under the Lord Lugard colonial administration.
The “Village-to-Village Roads” policy is a major public policy made by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to build a harmonious society, beautiful countryside and support the construction of rural roads for easy access to the market by rural agricultural farmers. A good policy of the Sabo Nanono led Federal Ministry of Agriculture and it is inarguably one of the best agricultural policy ever made.
The communal road was left abandoned since the colonial administration, until the Federal Ministry of Agriculture realized how important the viable agricultural communities are to the nation, especially in this era of food shortage across the country.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture’s rural road opening project, ongoing in Ogane-Nigu Iyale road which comprises of many villages like Ajachaga, Ajatalawo, Odolu, Otutulu , Ugbabo Ogane-Nigu, Oti Ate, Oti Ogane and the rest of the other communities, is a laudable feat which will boost farming and as well as boost transportation of farm products by farmers in the areas just like their counterparts in the adjoining communities of Agudoko, Anyigba. Farmers as of today are transporting their harvest easily to the markets and to buyers without much hinderances.
The fact remains that after the “Village-to-village Roads” was completed, farmers now enjoy easy access road. In turn increasing agricultural production. A development of their own special industries and as well promote the development of the rural economy extended to farmland and rural logistics centers. Improving and increasing farmers income and agricultural development. The unobstructed rural roads in all directions will enabled agricultural products to be transported timely.
With the improvement of rural roads, Iyale-Ogane Nigu farmers will enjoy the same convenient transportation as urban areas and promote the integration of urban and rural areas. More urban residents will begin to travel to rural areas to build farmhouses, as that will be a new bright spot for rural farmers in increasing their income.
In recent years, due to the relatively low cost of rural economic development, the road bottlenecks in urban and rural economic development have been resolved and more manufacturers have started building their factories in rural areas so that the rural surplus labor can find jobs nearby and easily. Which not only solves the surplus rural labor force, unemployment issues, but also increases the income of farmers.
The ongoing work of Iyale-Ogane Nigu road, which will link over 10 communities together, who are largely farmers, is related to the overall economic and social development in rural areas and is the key to the sustainable and healthy development of the rural economy through boosting more agricultural input and output. As the improved varieties of various agricultural seeds will now be freely made available to the rural farmers and the end product will have easy access to market for onward movement to urban areas.
More of this is needed as the fact on ground have it that efforts are ongoing across the 36 states of the federation.
Thank you to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the laudable feat.
Usman Okai Austin
Writes from Abuja