RAAMP Commends National Assembly on NADF Act Amendment, Calls for Sustained Rural Access and Market Infrastructure Funding
The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has expressed strong support for the amendment of the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) Establishment Act, citing its potential to boost agricultural financing, rural connectivity, and market systems nationwide.
At a One-day Stakeholders’ and General Public Hearing on three critical bills under consideration by the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services on Monday, October 13 at the National Assembly Complex, the Chairman, Hon. Bello Ka’oje, noted that the engagement demonstrates the legislature’s commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s agricultural sector through effective legislation and collaboration with key stakeholders.
According to him, agriculture remains the backbone of the economy and a key driver of inclusive growth and food security.
Presenting the overview of the NADF amendment bill, the house highlighted that the amendment aims to enhance governance efficiency, align the Fund’s operations with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and empower it to collaborate with major agricultural initiatives like RAAMP and the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZs) in financing rural access roads and market infrastructure.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Sabi Abdullahi, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to effective agricultural financing and praised the legislature for its proactive steps toward improving the sector’s institutional and legal frameworks
RAAMP’s National Coordinator, Engr. Aminu Bodinga Mohammed, represented by the Head of Agro-Logistics Unit, Engr. Salisu Abubakar, stated that “Providing rural access is a critical infrastructure that requires substantial funding. Most of RAAMP’s interventions are currently supported by loans from AFD and the World Bank, with minimal federal counterpart funding.”
In a statement by Vivian Amadi, RAAMP’s Development Communication Officer, he added that with the NADF now in place, “we see an opportunity for sustainable financing to maintain and expand rural roads and improve agro-logistics centers- the economic hubs of our markets”
Engr. Mohammed emphasized that the amendment aligns with the Project’s mandate and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. “By enhancing access from farm to market and reducing travel time and post-harvest losses, we can truly drive agricultural development across the country ” he said
The Bills under review included –
A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) Establishment Act, 2025 (HB 2036);
A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Farm Settlements Agency (HB 1347) and
A Bill for an Act to Establish the National Rice Production, Processing and Research Institute, Bungu (HB 423)
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