By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Bank has identified Nigeria as a key example of how investment in rural transport infrastructure can strengthen food security, raise agricultural productivity and improve livelihoods across Africa.
In its report, Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains, the Bank said weak transport networks remain a major constraint on food availability and affordability.
It cited Nigeria’s Rural Access and Mobility Programme (RAMP) as evidence that large-scale, targeted rural road investments can deliver significant benefits for both farmers and consumers.
According to the report, Nigeria’s experience shows that food security depends not only on production levels but also on the efficient movement of food from surplus areas to deficit regions.
Poor rural connectivity had long limited market access, increased transport costs and contributed to post-harvest losses despite the country’s strong agricultural potential.
To address this, the Nigerian government, with support from the World Bank and development partners, implemented RAMP in two phases between 2008 and 2018 at a total cost of about $303 million.
Funding came from the federal government, the International Development Association and Agence Française de Développement.
The programme focused on rehabilitating and maintaining rural roads to all-season standards, linking farmers to markets and essential services.
The second phase, RAMP-2, delivered notable results. Between 2012 and 2018, the project brought around 1.5 million people within two kilometres of an all-season road and contributed to a 31 per cent increase in the volume of agricultural produce transported, driven by lower travel times and reduced transport costs.
The Bank also highlighted improved internal food flows, using rice production as an example of how better connectivity enables food to move from surplus-producing regions to areas of higher demand.
It said efficient rural and inter-regional roads are essential to keeping food affordable and reducing local shortages.
Beyond infrastructure upgrades, the report pointed to community-based maintenance systems as a key factor in sustaining road quality and avoiding rapid deterioration.
The World Bank said Nigeria’s approach offers important lessons for Africa, where a majority of rural residents still lack access to all-season roads.
Strategic, large-scale investment in rural transport, integrated with agricultural development, can reduce food losses, boost productivity and build more resilient food systems, the Bank concluded.
