ROAD transport has been described as the process of transporting goods or people from one destination to the other via roads. Transport itself lays the foundation for how our human settlements function and link different markets. Road transport is linked to the health, economic performance, and social fabric of our cities and it is very important by enabling trading and in delivery of essential goods and commodities worldwide. Therefore, efforts are made globally to develop and improve road transportation in both rural and urban areas of societies.

UNFORTUNATELY, despite the importance of road transportation development to economic growth, rural areas in Nigeria have been largely neglected which has made it non attractive to live in and thereby increasing poverty level in the areas.  Most of these efforts are concentrated in the cities in the context of Nigeria. This is despite the fact that rural transportation networks are critically important for domestic production and export of agriculture, mining, and energy commodities, as well as the quality of life for all Nigerians more so that majority of Nigeria’s population lives in rural areas.

RURAL areas face several transportation challenges relating to safety, usage, and infrastructure condition. Most of the rural roads in the country are in poor condition, and this has imposed significant cost on the national economy with regards to hindering agricultural activities. Adequate and functional rural roads are essential for people and goods movement in contemporary periods. Rural roads are even very essential to ease and enhance people in rural communities to reach their farms as well as convey agricultural goods to markets and urban centres where they are required to support living.

AS earlier indicated, overwhelming efforts of governments are focused on improving roads in the cities to the utter neglect of the rural areas. To redress the appalling situation of rural roads in Ondo State, the State government commenced rehabilitation and repair of rural roads in all parts of the state recently.

The Hope therefore notes the commendable giant efforts of Ondo State government at repairing and improving rural roads across the length and breadth of the 18 local government areas of the state. The rural road rehabilitation efforts is very timely as we are approaching the raining season when the farmers will need to travel to their farms to prepare for the coming farming season.

THE  laudable venture of constructing and repairing damaged rural roads has a lot of benefits. It will facilitate and assist the farmers and rural dwellers to reach their farmlands with ease. They will be able to travel to source farm implements and inputs including seedlings. Consequently, it has the potency to improve and increase agricultural productivity and hence improve food security.

BEYOND individual benefits to farmers, improving rural roads in the state will contribute to Gross National Product (GDP) and ensure better diversification of the mono economy of the country. It will help improve spatial imbalance in the area of road development between the cities and rural areas. Also it will help in reversing the ugly development in which majority of people migrate to the already congested cities. This repair of rural roads across Ondo state no doubt has brought joy and happiness to the people in the rural areas and traders that travel to the villages every day to procure agricultural or farm products. This will ultimately translate to increase in agricultural productivity and guarantee food security since prices of foodstuff will fall.

HOWEVER, beyond the ecstasy displayed by members of the rural communities benefiting from the road infrastructure improvement, they need to complement Ondo state efforts at improving rural roads. The rural dwellers, especially the farmers, should make maximum use of the opportunity to engage in productive agriculture to further encourage the government in the future.

OTHER  tiers of government and agencies responsible for rural development should take a cue from this development to improve the rural areas of the country because it has the cumulative efforts of improving the rural areas to significantly reduce rural urban migration that is a serious problem in the country. Also, the State government should not relent in her efforts at improving and enhancing the quality of the rural environments by providing more rural development initiatives and projects such as rural roads improvement currently going on in all parts of  Ondo State.