Onions and garlic farmers in Gada Local Council of Sokoto State have, for years, watched much of their earnings disappear on transportation due to the deplorable state of roads that made transporting their produce from their farms to the market difficult and expensive.

The situation is worse during the rainy season, as some communities become inaccessible, while traders and transporters either charge exorbitant fares or refuse to ply the routes, thereby leaving many farmers with little choice but to sell their produce cheaply.

However, there are signs of relief, as the Sokoto State Government says the cost of transporting a sack of onions or garlic from farming communities to the Gada Market has dropped from about N10,000 to N1,000 following the progress on two major rural road projects being executed in the area.

According to the officials, the development is already easing the burden on farmers and could significantly improve incomes in one of Nigeria’s leading onions and garlic-producing belts.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu, who inspected the projects at the weekend, said the roads were designed to unlock the economic potential of the largely agrarian communities and improve access to markets.

The governor toured the 9.5-kilometre Gada-Bakin Kasuwa-Tsitse-Tabanni-Ila Gari Road, a project valued at N2.8 billion, which has reached about 75 per cent completion. He also inspected the 21.8-kilometre Kaffe-Tsitse-Gidan Hashimu-Karangiya-Kaddi-Arawa Road, awarded at N5.15 billion and currently about 65 per cent completed.

Aliyu also assessed work on the new Gada Market, a N2.49 billion project that has reached about 48 per cent completion. While commending the quality of work, the governor expressed concern at the pace of construction, warning that contractors must accelerate work to meet the completion deadlines.

“I am dissatisfied with the slow pace of work. Unless the contractor speeds up execution, the projects may not be completed within the stipulated timeframe,” he said.

Describing Gada as one of the country’s foremost producers of onions and garlic, Aliyu said improving rural infrastructure remained critical to boosting agricultural productivity and rural prosperity.

According to him, better roads will reduce transportation costs, minimise post-harvest losses, attract more buyers into the farming communities, and stimulate economic activities across the area.

He assured residents that rural development would remain a priority of his administration, with sustained investment in roads, agriculture, healthcare, education, and water supply.

The governor also expressed optimism that the new Gada Market would transform commercial activities in the area by creating employment opportunities for young people, expanding trading space for agricultural commodities, and increasing the state’s internally generated revenue.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser on Rural Roads, Malami Galadanci, told the governor during the inspection that culverts and drainage structures had already been completed on the road projects. He noted that even ahead of the projects’ completion, farmers have already started reaping the benefits through significantly lower transport costs.

He disclosed that the state government has fulfilled all its financial obligations to the contractors, adding that the Gada Market is designed as a modern agricultural trading hub with dedicated sections for onions, garlic, grains, and an abattoir.

He stated that the market would also be equipped with a solar-powered electricity network, a water reticulation system, and firefighting facilities to improve safety and support commercial activities.

The inspection team included Senator Aliyu Wamakko, Minister of State for Works, Bello Goronyo, Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Tukur Bodinga, and former Deputy Governor Mukhtar Shagari, among others.