By Ade Iyamoye
Barely a day after opening Abuja’s first solar-powered market, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, has commissioned yet another energy-efficient marketplace, the Kugbo International Market.
The sprawling facility, which is expected to attract around twenty thousand visitors daily, boasts over five thousand stalls, twenty warehouses, cold rooms, restaurants, banking halls, a clinic, and dedicated police and fire service stations.
The first phase alone houses one thousand six hundred shops, positioning the market as a major commercial hub in the city.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Saturday, Wike expressed confidence that the Kugbo International Market will stimulate both local and national economic growth by promoting robust trade and commercial activities.
“This project is a testimony to our commitment to boosting commerce and creating opportunities for our people,” the minister declared, highlighting the market’s potential to transform the economic landscape of the capital.
Developed through a Public Private Partnership between Abuja Investments Company Limited and Mesotho Group Limited, under a Build Operate and Transfer arrangement, the market is designed to be self-sustaining, with solar power ensuring reliable energy supply and reduced operational costs for traders.
Wike, who had only a day earlier inaugurated the Utako Farmers Market, emphasized the government’s resolve to modernize the capital’s commercial spaces and provide safe, sustainable environments for business to thrive.
Traders and visitors alike have lauded the project, noting its potential to improve livelihoods and expand market access for small businesses across the territory.
