By Taiye Bayode
The Kogi State Ministry of Commerce and Industry has pledged to strengthen communication and collaboration with traders at the Lokoja International Market, assuring the market union that concerns raised by its members would be conveyed to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Hajiya Musa-Amana Sualihat, gave the assurance when she received the newly inaugurated executives of the Lokoja International Market Traders Union at the State Secretariat.
Sualihat welcomed the delegation, describing the visit as a positive step towards building a stronger working relationship between the Ministry and the market community.
She explained that the Ministry was responsible for helping the government formulate trade and commerce policies and overseeing their implementation through relevant agencies.
On the ongoing construction of the ultra-modern Lokoja International Market, the Permanent Secretary disclosed that the Ministry maintained regular supervisory visits to the project site every fortnight, in collaboration with technical consultants and engineers monitoring the construction.
She noted that technical issues, including drainage specifications, were receiving attention, assuring traders that the project was being monitored to ensure that it met the required standards.
According to her, the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo plans to complete and take over the market by June 2027, after which traders are expected to relocate to the new facility. She added that details of the relocation would be communicated to the traders in due course.
The Permanent Secretary encouraged the union to maintain cordial relations with the project consultants and channel complaints through the Ministry for appropriate intervention.
She also highlighted opportunities available to small and medium-scale businesses, including empowerment programmes facilitated in partnership with the Bank of Industry. She advised traders to liaise with the informal sector union to access relevant support and maximise the benefits of such initiatives.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Lokoja International Market Traders Union, Alhaji Hassan Inuwa, said the visit was aimed at formally introducing the union’s new leadership to the Ministry, whose responsibilities are closely connected to the daily operations of the market.
Inuwa, who disclosed that he had recently visited the ultra-modern market construction site, expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work.
He commended the structures provided at the facility, particularly the warehouses, and praised Governor Ododo for the ongoing project, which he said would improve trading activities and create a more conducive business environment.
The union chairman also called for stronger communication between the Ministry and the market community, noting that the union could serve as an effective channel for conveying traders’ concerns and providing useful information to the government.
He explained that the union brought together 21 sections and associations within the market and had an operational secretariat through which the government could conveniently engage its members.
In his vote of thanks, the union’s Secretary, Alhaji Armadu Adamu, appreciated the Ministry for the warm reception and expressed the union’s readiness to collaborate with the government on forthcoming trade expos and other initiatives aimed at promoting commercial activities.
The meeting ended with both parties expressing optimism that improved engagement between the Ministry and the traders would strengthen cooperation, address market-related concerns and enhance the contribution of the Lokoja International Market to trade, enterprise and economic growth in Kogi State.
