The Muhammadu Buhari International Market, which was intended to serve as a commercial centre to boost economic activity, seems to be falling short of expectations six years after it was officially opened.
This is because traders are abandoning the edifice and choosing to trade on the streets or main highways.
The market, located in Karu Local Government Area near Abuja, was commissioned on February 5, 2018, by then-President Muhammadu Buhari during the administration of former Governor of Nasarawa state, Umar Tanko Al-Makura.
Following its commissioning, the market was handed over to the Abuja Market Management Limited (AMML) for administration, with the aim of generating revenue over a five-year period.
However, the allocation of shops came with significant financial burdens for traders. A 21-square-meter shop was priced at N420,000, with additional service charges of N96,600 for a two-year rent period, bringing the total cost to N516,600, according to our findings.
For many traders, particularly those previously operating from the Mararaba roadside, these costs proved prohibitive.
Many had already been displaced from roadside trading spots but found the market rents unaffordable.
As a result, they opted to continue their businesses on the streets, where they could operate without the burden of high rental fees, our reporter was told.
Poor accessibility and low patronage
Beyond the high cost of renting a shop, traders also cite poor accessibility and low patronage as reasons for abandoning the market.
The market’s location, though located along the road, lacks adequate transportation options and remains under-publicized.
Customers, accustomed to buying goods along the roadside, see little incentive to visit the market, leaving shop owners with low sales and difficulty justifying their rental costs.
One trader who sells soft drinks and biscuits around one of the market’s gates who didn’t mention her name said: “We are willing to move into the market, but there are no customers. People prefer to buy from roadside traders because it’s more convenient. Even those who initially rented shops have abandoned them because they are making losses.”
She wondered how her potential customers would patronise her when they could easily get what they wanted by the roadside.
One trader Grace Ewe who sells at Mararaba under the bridge told our reporter “How much am I making from here [pointing at her fruit items] that I will be paying N500,000 for shop? Do they want to send me back to the village?”
Government enforcement and relocation attempts
Authorities have made several attempts to relocate traders from the roadsides to the market, often employing enforcement measures. However, these efforts have met resistance, as traders insist that the market does not provide a viable alternative.
- In June 2024, the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NSUDB) commenced enforcement of the decongestion of traders along the Mararaba highway following a directive from the state House of Assembly in May.
- The NSUDB officials commenced to the displeasure of many traders who preferred to trade along the highways in Mararaba.
- As a result of NSUDB’s enforcement, several traders’ goods were destroyed, makeshift kiosks were damaged, and occasional arrests of defaulters.
- The enforcement stopped following the nationwide EndBadGovernance protests which started August 1, 2024. The traders went back to the roads after a brief moment of order was observed.
- Some traders claim that harassment from enforcement officials makes it even more challenging to operate in the market.
Despite previous government interventions, the persistence of roadside trading highlights the need for a more practical and affordable approach to market space allocation.
Nasarawa Government keeps mum
Nairametrics made frantic efforts to get the Nasarawa state Government’s side of the story. We reached out to Yakubu Lamai, the Director-General of strategic Communication and Events Management to the Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule. He neither returned our calls nor responded to our text messages.
Our reporter visited the Nasarawa State Market Management Bureau for their side of the story.
- A staff of the Bureau in their office inside the Muhammadu Buhari International Market who spoke to our reporter on Monday on condition of anonymity accused the traders of being “stubborn”.
According to her, “The government has done their best to get people to come into this market but they are just unnecessarily stubborn. The government has given so many incentives, but they will still not move in. I just don’t know what to say again,” she said.
