The Kogi State Government has said the Lokoja Ultra-Modern Market under construction will transform commerce in the state and across Nigeria by leveraging Kogi’s strategic location as the nation’s gateway.
Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, stated this on Monday while inspecting the project in Lokoja.
He said the 25-hectare market, one of the flagship projects of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration, is designed to accommodate traders from seven existing markets in Lokoja and provide a modern commercial environment that will improve safety, reduce traffic congestion and stimulate economic growth.
According to him, the project forms part of the administration’s Urban Renewal Agenda aimed at making Lokoja a cleaner, smarter and better organised state capital.
Fanwo said the existing International Market at Nataco had outgrown its capacity, contributing to traffic congestion, environmental challenges and road accidents.
“That will change from next year when traders begin moving into the Ultra-Modern Market,” he said.
He noted that Kogi’s central location gives the market a competitive advantage, describing it as a future national trading hub that will attract investors, wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers from across the country.
The commissioner said the market will feature open trading spaces, lock-up shops, market halls, warehouses, banking facilities, technology hubs, a clinic, fire and security stations, a food court, modern butchery and ample parking, among other facilities.
He added that the project would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, strengthen small and medium-scale enterprises, boost internally generated revenue and enhance Kogi’s status as an investment destination.
Describing the project as one of the enduring legacies of the Ododo administration, Fanwo said the Ultra-Modern Market, alongside the state airport, would redefine Kogi’s economic landscape.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying his administration’s economic policies had improved the financial capacity of states to execute major infrastructure projects.
Fanwo assured residents that the Ododo administration would continue to implement projects aimed at improving the ease of doing business and driving sustainable economic development in the state.
