The Kogi Government on Monday flagged off the construction of a 25-hectare ultra-modern market in Lokoja to boost commercial activities in the state.
Gov. Ahmed Ododo said at the groundbreaking that the project is expected to be completed in 36 months with modern facilities to drive development in the state.
Ododo, who was represented by Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Mr Taiye Abanika, said that the initiative was in line with his administration’s commitment to urbanise the state and make it more attractive to investors.
“We have conducted our due diligence on the construction company, Sazak Acres Biloque Company (SABC) Limited, to determine its capability in executing a job of that magnitude before the contract was awarded.
“The market will create jobs for the people and as well speed up development in the confluence state,” he said.
Commissioner for Works, Mr Muhammed Yusuf, urged the company to do a quality job by adhering strictly to the drawings and specifications as contained in the bill of quantity.
Yusuf warned that the government would not condone any substandard job.
The Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, said the project would be the last leg of the Lokoja Urban Renewal Project (LURP).
Fanwo reaffirmed the commitment of Ododo’s administration to ensuring that Lokoja reflects a 21st-century state capital that is safe, beautiful, and ready for business.
He commended the previous administration’s success in having a single motor park and promised Ododo’s commitment to bringing all the seven smaller markets in Lokoja under the new Lokoja Ultra Modern Market.
“This will help us in having a cleaner and safer Lokoja. Those who conceived the present International Market didn’t know that Lokoja would grow this big and become Nigeria’s connecting point.
“We have recorded a lot of accidents, and Nigerians have lost so many loved ones because it was located at the intersection of two major roads.
“We will move all the markets to the new Ultra Modern Market and convert the present International Market to government warehouses and the Commodity Exchange Commission,” Fanwo said.
He said the government is ready to leverage the state’s strategic location for maximum commercial benefits, stressing that the ultramodern market would turn Kogi into the commercial hub of Nigeria when completed.
He, therefore, urged Lokoja traders and its environs not to entertain any fear, assuring them that the government would ensure a smooth transition to the new market when completed.
In his response, Abdulrazaq Aliyu, who received the contract documents on behalf of SABC Ltd, promised to adhere strictly to the contractual agreement and do a quality job.
Aliyu assured that the project would be delivered within 36 months according to specifications.
The Truth reports that the ultramodern market is sited at Crusher, Lokoja.