The Kogi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to completing the ongoing construction of the ultra-modern Lokoja International Market by June 2027, with plans to relocate traders to the new facility upon completion.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Hajiya Musa-Amana Sualihat, disclosed this while receiving the newly inaugurated executives of the Lokoja International Market Traders Union at the State Secretariat.
Sualihat assured the traders that the Ministry would strengthen communication and collaboration with the market community, adding that concerns raised by the union would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
She explained that the Ministry was responsible for formulating trade and commerce policies and supervising their implementation through relevant agencies.
On the market project, the Permanent Secretary said the Ministry conducted fortnightly supervisory visits in collaboration with technical consultants and engineers to monitor construction progress and ensure compliance with required standards.
She added that technical concerns, including drainage specifications, were receiving attention, assuring traders that the project was being closely monitored.
Sualihat urged the union to maintain cordial relations with the project consultants and channel complaints through the Ministry. She also encouraged traders to explore small and medium-scale business support programmes facilitated in partnership with the Bank of Industry.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Lokoja International Market Traders Union, Alhaji Hassan Inuwa, said the visit was aimed at introducing the union’s new leadership and strengthening its relationship with the Ministry.
Inuwa, who said he had recently visited the construction site, expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work, particularly the warehouses and other structures provided at the facility. He commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for the project, noting that it would improve trading activities and provide a more conducive business environment.
The union chairman called for improved communication between the Ministry and traders, describing the union, which comprises 21 sections and associations, as an effective channel for conveying concerns and sharing information with the government.
In his vote of thanks, the union’s Secretary, Alhaji Armadu Adamu, appreciated the Ministry for the reception and expressed the union’s willingness to collaborate with the government on trade expos and other initiatives to promote commercial activities.
Both parties expressed optimism that stronger engagement would address traders’ concerns, improve cooperation and boost trade and economic growth in Kogi State.
