Kaduna State government has received a $60 million grant from the World Bank, toward assisting in the management and improvement of access of rural roads.

Governor Namadi Sambo of Kaduna State, said this yesterday, while opening a one-day sensitization and awareness workshop on "Rural Transport Infrastructure Development," organized by the state's Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP).

He said the state government will provide an additional counterpart funding of $12 million, as part of its commitment toward the success of the project. Sambo said RAMP was initiated by the Federal Government in support of Implementation of Government Rural Travel and Transport Policy (RTTP), aimed at assisting participating states and local governments in the improvement of rural access roads in rural areas of the state.

He said the project would contribute to improvement of rural living and poverty reduction, adding that Kaduna was the first state selected by the Federal Government for the project as a result of its meeting all requirements for the grants.

"It is my pleasure to inform you that after a bench-marking exercise by the Federal Government, Kaduna State was selected as the first and the best for the implementation of this all-important project based on policy documents that include among others, the Kaduna State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (KADSEEDS)," he said.

According to him, implementation of the project through construction of roads, bridges and culverts, would open up the state's rural areas and ensures better access to health, school, markets and social amenities.