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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, is rebuilding major markets across the state in a drive to revive commercial activities, restore traders’ livelihoods and bring abandoned and underutilised trading centres back to life.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Dr. Patrick Ebojele, said the projects, being executed across the three senatorial districts, formed part of the infrastructure pillar of the administration’s SHINE Agenda.
Ebojele said the intervention was targeted particularly at markets that had deteriorated, been abandoned or remained unusable for years, depriving traders and surrounding communities of important centres of economic activity.
Speaking on the reconstruction of a fire-ravaged market in Benin City, he said the redesigned facility would provide more than 450 open stalls on the ground floor, with lock-up shops and other commercial spaces on the upper floors.
“The market includes modern facilities — restaurants, a crèche, a sick bay and a fire station. Original traders and previous occupants have been given free shop allocations. This isn’t just about rebuilding, it’s about restoring livelihoods,” he said.
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Ebojele said the redesign was also intended to improve safety and convenience for traders and customers.
According to him, the reconstruction drive has been extended beyond Benin City to the Irrua Ultra-Modern Market in Esan Central, Ekpoma Modern Market in Esan West and Jattu Modern Market in Edo North.
He said the Irrua market was being developed to accommodate 700 lock-up shops, while more than 20 shops had been reconstructed at the POWA Shopping Complex in Ekpoma after the facility was gutted by fire.
“When you lose a market for ten years, you lose more than buildings. You lose the trader’s capital, the community’s commercial identity. These projects are about getting traders back into proper spaces where they can actually grow their businesses.”
Ebojele said the projects were also designed to promote balanced development across Edo’s three senatorial districts and improve commercial infrastructure in areas he said had suffered neglect.
“Edo North has been overlooked for too long on infrastructure. The governor made a commitment to ensure that development wasn’t concentrated in Benin or the South. Jattu Market is part of keeping that commitment,” he said.
