Business and Economy
Gov Sule Committed to Boosting Nasarawa’s Economy Through Market Development – Market Bureau DG
By David Odama
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State is committed to enhancing the state’s economic fortunes through the development of modern markets across all 13 local government areas.
As part of efforts to boost internally generated revenue, the state is constructing six additional modern markets to complement the existing nine already in operation.
The Director General of the Nasarawa State Market Management Bureau (MSMMB), Dr. Yakubu Ahmed Ubangari, made this known in Lagos while briefing journalists on the activities of the Bureau.
According to him, the MSMMB currently generates over N260 million monthly in revenue for the state government. He noted that the Bureau oversees revenue collection only from markets built by the state government.
He revealed that the state currently has over 13 markets under its management, with three located in Lafia, one in Nasarawa Eggon, two in Akwanga, two in Keffi, and four in Karu. The markets under construction in Doma, Awe, Wamba, and Nasarawa are said to be at 90% completion.
Addressing concerns about unoccupied shops in some of the markets and the role of middlemen in shop allocations, the DG acknowledged that the situation is being addressed to remove barriers to effective revenue collection.
“Like you rightly said, some shops remain unoccupied due to the actions of middlemen. While we lease out these shops at N40,000 to N60,000, the middlemen sublet them to traders at over N500,000. That’s one of the reasons affecting patronage in some markets,” Ubangari explained.
He commended Governor Sule for his consistent support to the Bureau and also appreciated the traders and marketers under the leadership of Turaki Gamji for their cooperation.
Dr. Ubangari urged traders across the state to continue partnering with the Bureau in its efforts to provide improved services for the overall benefit of the people of Nasarawa.