As part of his economic reform drive and developmental agenda, in Kogi State. The Chief Servant and Governor of Kogi State, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has taken another bold step in boosting market economic development, which will bolster revenue generation and expand the business horizon of the state, thereby sustaining more profitability for businesses in a world-standard, well-equipped, and safe environment, writes Babajide Obafemi.
The Governor, who broke ground for the launch of the new ultra-modern market project, located at Hassan Katsina Road, Crusher Junction, Lokoja, on December 9, 2024, is expecting the project’s delivery in 36 months.
My visit to the project site and interaction with Engineer Benjamin Adebola Omojola, the project supervisor, provided me with the opportunity to understand the rationale behind the project, its details, and expectations through the construction stages, down to its delivery.
In an unrivalled class of her own, the project is expected to showcase the standard and A-list class that Mr. Governor is known for. The projects, when completed in less than 36 months [if you deduct the date of groundbreaking], would match up with, if not surpass, any other world standard ultra-modern market in the ilk. What makes the mind boggle is the built-in facilities that will accompany the project on delivery.
Expectedly, the ultra-modern market, which will boast of not less than 3000 to 5000 vehicular parking spaces, within 20 or more connectivity roads done in rigid pavements of not less than 4 kilometers within the market, is expected to have over 5000 lockup shops for both local and international traders and business people.
The ultra-modern market will also have a complex building, which can house 8 major banks who will each have their standard vaults and power houses to themselves on a single suspended floor. In addition, there will be a separate 50-bed clinic building, which is to serve as the first aid point in the case of an emergency sickness of any type, before the patient is transferred for proper medical attention in a standard hospital thereafter.
In sustaining the world’s best practices in any large gathering, especially in a marketplace, the ultra-modern market will have an emergency fire station building, with firefighting trucks parked and ready for action, to forestall any such related circumstances. Aside from the lockup shops, there will be an area for the open market space for mini and petty traders with lockup shops at the back, there will also be three different 82.5 meters by 30 meters warehouses to warehouse goods, produce and products.
To have an all-inclusive ultra-modern market, there will be a tech hub building which will be a single suspended floor, where a high concentration of technological companies, startups and related industries will converge to showcase their thriving businesses and do their repairs. The ultra-modern market will also have its hypermarket, where all supermarkets and supermalls will be in convergence, selling basically all and every good and service.
Within the ultra-modern market will be a massive administrative building which will attend to enquiries and all administrative issues relating to the day-to-day running of the market; also, within the market will be the maintenance building built with a suspended floor to attend to maintenance issues of shops and mall owners.
The ultra-modern market will have a standard security architecture, which will make sure that there is no breach of security and ensure the sustenance of tight security within and around the market. Given this, a big security building office, five watchtowers, and a single suspended security tower that accommodates all world-standard security equipment and CCTV cameras are being built to enhance adequate and effective security within and around the market.
What excites me more is that Governor Ododo has decided to secure and harness a huge mass of land where this project is being built. The project, when completed, will help the state government collapse all other existing markets within the state’s capital into this ultra-modern market. This will reduce holdups and traffic congestion within and around the state capital. Another relieving issue is the thought of moving the present modern market from where it is situated in Nataco area, where trailer accidents and traffic congestion are recurrent.
With Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s emergence as the 5th civilian governor of Kogi State, his trajectory for development and eagle eye for uncommon projects, one will agree that Kogi State is sharply progressing and equally attracting investors to the suitability of investing in the state.
If this is not good news, I wonder what will be.
Babajide Obafemi is the SSA on Community Engagement [West] to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Seunmanuel Faleye is a brand and communications strategist. He is a covert writer and an overt creative head. He publishes Apple’s Bite International Magazine.
