Here is how Soludo’s massive road infrastructure projects are impacting agricultural development

If you live outside Anambra State, you probably might not have heard of Anambra West Local Government Area. A local government inhabited by Igbo and Igala speaking people. It is located in the northwestern part of Anambra State. Its headquarters is in a town called Nzam – an agrarian community. This is probably the only local government headquarters in Nigeria without a road leading to it. This has been the case for many years, but this is not the case anymore.

Think about this: In a country where many council chairmen have complained about absenteeism in council offices, imagine what would have been the case in a local government headquarters without an access road in the past years. Imagine the impact on the productivity of that local government area and on the state, at large.

Despite the fact that Anambra West LGA is the food basket of Anambra State, it did not have adequate access roads to evacuate its farm produce. The 10.9km Mmiata- Anam -Nzam Road – which will be commissioned in the coming days by Governor Chukwuma Soludo – has opened up farms and rivers in Anambra West LGA to other parts of Anambra State and other states in the country.

Because Anambra West LGA has a very difficult soil terrain, the 10.9km Mmiata- Anam -Nzam Road was a difficult project. It required enormous amount of sand filling to elevate the road in order to prevent it from flooding. Massive layers of stone base materials were laid on top of this sand-filled road subbase. There were also a couple of large embarkments constructed along the roadway because of the elevation of the road. There are about 48 large box culverts – which are mini bridges as it were – along this newly constructed road. It was a challenging project but Governor Soludo was determined to execute this project. Governor Soludo’s can-do spirit can be seen in this new road!

Anambra West LGA is surrounded by rivers. The local government area has large expanses of arable farmlands.

Take the Anam community in Anambra West LGA – the potentially shortest link between Anambra and Kogi States through the Anambra Bridge – for example.

Anam is a mega community and it comprises of eight villages. This community is known for farming and fishing. Some publications state that the people of Anam produce up to 70% of the whole food stuff from Anambra State. Major crops produced in Anam in large quantities include yam, cassava, rice, corn, groundnut and potatoes. The rivers in Anam are homes to a wide variety of fishes. Apart from the rich agricultural potential of Anam, the community is also rich in natural resources such as crude oil. Anam has a rich history: History has it that slave merchants from Arochukwu in Ohafia were given a good fight when they came to take people captive in Anam and to sell them to slave traders.

Sadly, this community had been cut-off from the rest of the state because it had no motorable access road for many years. The farms had no access roads. But this is no longer the case.

Governor Soludo has changed the fate of farmers in Anam in Anambra State. The newly constructed 10.9km Mmiata- Anam -Nzam road is expected to bring back traders from Kogi, Delta, Enugu and other neighboring states who had stopped patronizing the farmers in Anambra West LGA.

The just constructed road by Governor Soludo would also put an end to the large post-harvest losses experienced in areas where farmlands have no motorable access roads in Anambra. Anam is a good example where post-harvest losses would be significantly reduced as a result of the construction of Mmiata- Anam -Nzam Road. Post harvest losses are serious issues in Nigeria. In 2021, Action Aid estimated that Nigeria’s post-harvest losses were about N3.5trn annually. Also, the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute reported that the country recorded a 50 percent post-harvest loss in fruits and vegetables annually.

In the coming months and years, this column will report on the changes in the fortunes of farmers in Anambra West LGA.

Other issues raised by the people of Anambra West LGA in the past are being addressed. Issues related to healthcare facilities, lack of portable water and incessant flooding are currently being addressed by Governor Soludo, head-on.

Governor Soludo has shown that with strategic road construction projects, agricultural development could be given a facelift in Anambra State. Over 450km of brand-new roads will be completed by the end of the year in Anambra State and many more new roads will be awarded in the coming months!

Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects.