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As Community-Based Maintenance Groups Take Shape, Stakeholders Commit to Safeguarding Rural Investments
LOKOJA, Kogi State — Rural communities across Kogi State have pledged to protect and sustain the road infrastructure delivered under the Kogi Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (KG-RAAMP), as the state intensifies the establishment of community-based Road Maintenance Groups aimed at preserving the gains of the multi-sector rural development initiative.
The commitment was made during a series of sensitization meetings held across RAAMP intervention communities in the state’s three senatorial districts, where traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, women, farmers, traders, and other stakeholders unanimously resolved to take ownership of the rehabilitated rural roads and ensure they remain functional for generations.
The initiative forms a critical component of KG-RAAMP’s sustainability framework, designed to ensure that the rural road network continues to facilitate agricultural production, improve market access, reduce transportation costs, and stimulate economic growth long after the completion of the project.
Speaking during the sensitization exercise, the State Project Coordinator of KG-RAAMP, Engineer Sheidu Obansa Adamu, explained that the Road Maintenance Groups are being established to institutionalize community ownership of the road assets while promoting regular maintenance through local participation.
According to him, the strategy is intended to preserve the substantial investments already made in rural infrastructure and guarantee that the roads continue to serve farmers, traders, schoolchildren, healthcare providers, and other road users across Kogi State.
“The establishment of the Road Maintenance Groups is aimed at strengthening community ownership of these road assets and ensuring their long-term sustainability,” he said through team leaders deployed to the three senatorial districts. 
Engineer Obansa further disclosed that the composition of the maintenance groups follows the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which emphasize inclusiveness, equal opportunity, and community participation.
He explained that deliberate consideration is being given to women, persons living with disabilities, vulnerable groups, and other able-bodied members of the benefiting communities to ensure broad-based participation in the maintenance programme.
“The initiative is not only about maintaining roads; it is about empowering communities to protect public investments while creating opportunities for inclusive participation in rural development,” he noted.
The project coordinator stressed that RAAMP has evolved beyond road construction into a comprehensive rural development intervention that is improving livelihoods, expanding economic opportunities, and strengthening agricultural value chains throughout Kogi State.
He observed that improved rural roads have significantly enhanced access to markets, reduced travel time, lowered transportation costs, and improved access to education, healthcare, and other essential social services.
Engineer Obansa also commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for what he described as the administration’s unwavering commitment to rural infrastructure development and inclusive economic growth.
He equally acknowledged the support and leadership of the Commissioner for Rural and Energy Development, Engineer Abdulmutalib Mohammed, for providing the policy direction and institutional backing necessary for the successful implementation of the project. 
Across the intervention communities, stakeholders described the rehabilitated roads as transformative investments that have changed the socio-economic fortunes of rural dwellers.
Community leaders noted that communities which previously struggled with poor road access now enjoy easier movement of farm produce, increased commercial activities, improved mobility, and stronger connections to urban markets.
They pledged to protect the roads from misuse, vandalism, and activities capable of damaging the infrastructure, while promising to collaborate closely with the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) in carrying out routine maintenance responsibilities.
Many of the participants described the roads as community assets whose preservation has become a shared responsibility rather than the sole obligation of government.
The ongoing formation of the Road Maintenance Groups follows a recent technical engagement between officials of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the KG-RAAMP State Project Implementation Unit, during which community-based road maintenance models and implementation modalities were reviewed to ensure global best practices are adapted to local realities.
Development experts have consistently identified community ownership as one of the most effective approaches to sustaining rural infrastructure, particularly where local residents are directly involved in monitoring, protecting, and maintaining public assets.
For thousands of rural residents across Kogi State, the emergence of the Road Maintenance Groups represents more than an administrative exercise. It reflects a growing culture of collective responsibility, strengthens community ownership of critical infrastructure, safeguards public investments, and reinforces the long-term sustainability of the transformational achievements already recorded under the Kogi Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project.
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