Kwara traders lament inaccessible multimillion naira market project

Over the years, many traders in Gbugbu town in Kwara State have engaged in trading activities under the scorching sun, using small canopies to protect themselves from the sun’s rays.

Musa Aisha, a woman in her late thirties who sells food in the market, still remembers an unfortunate incident when a canopy fell on her mother and killed her. This heartbreaking event caused unforgettable pain, and the fear of becoming another victim prompted her to leave her mother’s shop to sell under the scorching sun.

Her mother, Musa Fatima, was aged 70 when the incident occurred.

“The incident was still like a miracle to me when I was told that who sent me on an errand died before I came back from where I was sent”, she said.

“This shocking incident was the reason I left my mother’s shop after her burial and chose to be selling outside the market despite the sun’s effect on the body”, she added.

Picture of the closed Gbugbu Gate

The Gbugbu International Market: Government’s intervention

Gbugbu, a popular town in Edu, which the local government of Kwara State governs, is a historic trading centre, bringing together people from across the country.

The Gbugbu market has been known for trading since its inception. It is one of the biggest markets in Edu Local Government, where people come from different areas and beyond every Wednesday to trade.

According to Hassan Musa, a community resident, the market has existed for years. ”Its popularity has no bounds because people everywhere know this market, even if they come from outside the state to trade.”

Project

In the approved Kwara State 2022, 2023 and 2024 budgets, funds were approved for the construction of Gbugbu International Market.

The project, aimed at enhancing businesses and boosting the state’s economy, has yet to be accessed by traders.

In 2022, the Kwara State government approved and released N350 million to construct the Gbugbu International Market, named the “First phase”.

The Kwara State Government reported that the project’s first phase comprised 22 lock-up shops, ten blocks of 200 open shops, public toilets at different parts of the market, and a security post, among other facilities that have been put in place.

The Guardian Nigeria reported in February 2023 that the Kwara State Government had officially commissioned the project’s first phase.

When UDEME visited in May, the reporter noticed different shops had been erected but was not allowed to enter the fenced market.

N200 million was approved in 2023 for the project’s second phase. In 2024, N50 million was also allocated for the same project. The total sum allocated so far stands at N600 million.

The Kwara State Government reported that the subsequent two phases will include an abattoir, police station, fire station, car park, and administrative office, among others.

Picture of the traders

Traders react

Some traders have lamented how the market has remained inaccessible despite its completion.

Gafaru Azeezat, a mother of four children who sells raw food, lamented: “Had it be I have another means of making money to take care of my family, I would’ve opted out from coming to the market because staying under the sun for a whole day is not easy which has affected my health”.

“Half the money I make every Wednesday is used to buy medicine. Even people under their canopy still complain about the hurting heat”, Mrs Azeezat told UDEME.

Salman Kehinde, another trader in the market, said that the contractor has since finished the work, ”but we still need to find out why it is still yet to be opened for use after its commission despite people’s complaining and suffering”.

He added, “Our main concern is whether the modalities the state government will adopt as well the money to be paid for securing each shop will favour we petty traders or not”.

Abdullah Yaman explained that the state government ”sent a team from Ilorin a few days ago to hold a meeting about the market opening.”

”However, their meeting ended very soon, with them saying ‘we are coming to officially open it for use’, which is what they used to say even before now.”

Abdullahi Kareem, a motorcyclist in the market, lamented that ”our wives are suffering, selling in uncovered places and that it has not been easy for me as her husband packing all she’s selling from home to market and vice versa due to the unavailability of a secured place”.

He further said his hope for the newly constructed market is very high, ”but I cannot say this is precisely why it has not been opened for use; the work has since stopped in the market.”

Other reactions

Saka Salimat, one of the traders who always goes to Gbugbu market every Wednesday from Ilorin expressed her dissatisfaction over the bad road from Ilorin to Gbugbu, saying, ”The journey of 2 hours turned to 4 hours with a lot of stress”.

”Most of our customers do not have a comfy place to sit or rest even when tired,” she adds.

Another trader, Tosho Adama, explained how she is usually drenched by rain while in the market due to the unavailability of a secure place to stay.

She lamented that ”the market after the rain was very bad, making people slip and sustain different injuries as well as destroyed people’s market”.

Adio Silifat, a woman who has been going to Gbugbu Market for over ten years said ”whenever it rains, I and my colleagues will rush to the seller of dry fish to put our heads because they have a bigger locally made canopy, despite that we will still be beaten by rain and before we get home all the sacks contained what we bought would be stained by mud.”

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“I sell dry fish, soya beans, maize, beans and others.”

She added that ”I always pray may it not rain during the market day because if it is sun, we endure it and take medicine when we get home”.

“There is no Wednesday that I will not take medicine when I return home from the market. It is our usual act”, she said.

The supervising ministry failed to respond to the requested information on why the market has not been opened.

Secretary to the Kwara State Commissioner of Local Government Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development, Audu Aminat, told UDEME when contacted that ”I don’t think your Freedom of Information (FOI) would be attended to due to your request.”

“I will make sure I try my best for the letter to be submitted to the Commissioner, just remain for him to respond to the questions”, she assured UDEME.

However, the commissioner is yet to respond to enquiries by UDEME as of the time of filing the report.