In a bid to strengthen sustainable rural road management, the Ogun State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (OG-RAAMP), in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), has handed over routine maintenance equipment to trained Road Maintenance Groups (RMGs) in Abeokuta North Local Government Area.

The handover ceremony, which featured practical demonstrations of routine road maintenance, took place in the Ilewo-Orile and Isaga-Orile communities.

Speaking on behalf of the Project Coordinator of RAAMP and Director-General of the Rural Access Roads Agency (RARA), Engr Waheed Adejumo, the Social Safeguard Officer, Solomon Akindele, highlighted that the initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure rural roads remain motorable year-round, particularly in farming communities where access to markets and agricultural productivity depend on functional road networks.

Adejumo explained that equipping the Road Maintenance Groups marks a key step in transitioning from road construction to long-term maintenance and sustainability. The selected community members were previously trained and are now fully equipped to undertake routine road maintenance in their designated areas.

The program draws inspiration from global best practices promoted by the ILO, which advocates labour-based road maintenance systems to create local employment while preserving rural infrastructure. Activities expected from the RMGs include clearing and maintaining side drains, repairing potholes, stone-pitching, filling laterite on weak sections, vegetation management along road shoulders, bridge cleaning, bio-engineering works, and general surface maintenance.

The ILO’s Road Maintenance Engineer, Engr. Ismaila Tsukutoda, said the intervention not only improves road durability but also empowers rural communities through job creation and active participation in infrastructure management. He emphasized that community-based teams foster ownership and enable rapid responses to maintenance needs.

Additional Road Maintenance Groups across Ogun State are expected to receive similar equipment in the coming weeks to extend the program’s reach.

The Elewo of Ilewo, Oba Clement Kolawole Omosanwo lauded the government for the initiative, noting that it would enhance environmental conditions and stimulate economic activities in the communities. He urged the RMGs to perform their duties diligently and assured that residents would actively monitor the project to ensure its sustainability and effectiveness.