Lagos Moves To Sanitise Markets

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For too long, markets in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, have become eyesores. Filth and poor sanitation have become the hallmark of many markets in the Lagos metropolis. This is coupled with unbridled trading on streets, road medians and setbacks, among others.

With the expectations of becoming a mega city, the need to sanitise markets in the state becomes paramount.  The myriad of problems associated with market development, such as environmental sanitation, physical structure, safety of lives and property, security of food, transportation, conflict and crimes and health, among others readily come to the front burner.

It was in a bid to sanitise markets in the state that a two-day summit tagged Eko Market Summit 2010 was organised for leaders of market men and women in the state by the Lagos State Market Development Board at the Lagos Television, Ikeja, Lagos recently.

The summit was aimed at addressing the numerous problems associated with market development, which is one of the major steps towards a planned, structured and organised market system in line with present day realities of market administration.

“The state government is very conscious of the fact that Lagos is the foremost commercial city and indeed the commercial hub of the country. This makes it compelling to accelerate the redevelopment/development of our markets to the standard obtainable in developed countries of the world,” said Deputy Chairman, Lagos State Market Development Board, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

“It is pertinent to stress that strategic visioning of value added approaches to public market management in a mega-city environment requires excellent thought processes and full participation by everyone present at this summit,” she said.

According to her, the board had been striving to move markets in the state forward by stepping up the weekly sanitation exercise awareness to improve the state of the environment as well as organise training to improve the lot of market men and women.

“The initiative to address the myriad of problems associated with market development in the state is to further complement the efforts of government in planning novel approaches in the areas of environment, physical structures and safety of lives, among others,” the Lagos Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Rotimi Agunsoye added.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Samuel Ifemade, the commissioner noted that “there are various challenges bothering on market management which are confronting our state, as we make efforts to take on the responsibility of a mega city, such as high concentration and influx of people from different parts of the country as well as from other parts of the world.

“Government has continued to make efforts geared towards ensuring that governance of both state and local government levels is purposeful, meaningful and reflecting the 10-point agenda.”

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