Twenty-one agrarian communities in Kano State are rejoicing as their access roads to the market have been constructed and rehabilitated, resulting in significant benefits for their agro commodity businesses.
The interventions, conducted and coordinated by the Kano COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (KN-CARES), a World Bank-assisted project in collaboration with the federal government of Nigeria and Kano State, have been instrumental in promoting agricultural and business activities in the rural communities.
These once-neglected communities were often isolated due to dilapidated access roads or the absence of good access routes, making it difficult for farmers to transport their produce to the market and hindering the overall economic growth of the region.
However, with the completion of the construction and rehabilitation of the access roads, the farmers can now access markets easily and move their products efficiently.
Malam Haladu Gabasawa, a 30-year-old farmer from Gabasawa village, expressed his gratitude for the transformative impact of the access road construction.
He stated, “It is a jamboree for us in this village of Gabasawa as we no longer suffer to take our agricultural produce to the market. We have been suffering for years, and our agricultural produce had no value to us because we found it very difficult to take our produce to where we can sell it. The intervention through the access road has been a game-changer for us.”
The KN-CARES project aims to benefit over 50,000 small-scale farmers from 484 communities in the 44 local governments of Kano State, helping them recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recent findings indicate that several kilometers of access roads have been renovated in various places within the project’s targeted areas, providing easier access to farms and markets for smaller farmers to transport their products.
In addition to the road renovations, the project has also introduced 400 farmers to the use of solar-powered water pumps, a sustainable and cost-effective technology that requires no fuel or electricity.
This innovation is aimed at promoting efficient irrigation practices, thereby enhancing food security and safe functioning of food supply chains for poor households.
Furthermore, women and youths have been empowered under the project by providing them with poultry birds and ruminants to start agro-centered businesses.
Additionally, over 1.5km of tertiary irrigation canals were constructed in some local government areas to promote efficient irrigation practices.
Malam Rufa’i Halilu Ahmed, the state coordinator of KN-CARES, emphasized that the project’s objectives include expanding access to livelihood support and food security services and providing grants for poor and vulnerable households and firms.
He stated that the project is committed to protecting the very poor and vulnerable groups by expanding the coverage of social assistance interventions and delivering basic social services to the people.
The successful implementation of these interventions has not only brought prosperity and economic growth to the agrarian communities in Kano but has also contributed to reducing rural-urban migration trends in the area. The positive impact on the lives of the beneficiaries has been evident, as they are now better off than they were two decades ago.
Through such concerted efforts, Kano State continues to strive towards enhancing agricultural productivity, improving livelihoods, and ensuring food security for its citizens.
The access road construction and agricultural interventions have undoubtedly paved the way for sustainable growth and development in the region.
