Zulum launches Monday market, waives two years of rent for 8,000 traders.

Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has reopened the Maiduguri Monday market, which was destroyed by fire on February 26, 2023.

During the commissioning ceremony on Monday, the governor also declared that at least 8,000 traders who rent shops and pay rent to the state government through the market authority will not have to pay rent for the next two years due to the massive damages they sustained during the fire.

“As you may recall, the Maiduguri Monday Market was destroyed by fire in February 2023.” The government of Borno State formed a commission to reconstruct the market. “The market has now been completely rehabilitated, and over 8,000 traders will benefit from the newly remodeled market,” Zulum stated.

The redesigned market structure included a full redesign and expansion strategy, as well as a more organized and accessible area for company activity.

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It features wider walkways, designated zones for different product categories, and some basic facilities, which have all contributed to the market’s transformation into a shopper-friendly destination.

Zulum had released two billion naira to the committee formed to manage market activities in February, in addition to the one billion naira palliative handed to victims of the fire calamity.

At the commissioning, the governor also offered N800 million in assistance for around 2,825 traders who were unable to obtain shops due to the market’s reconstruction.

They had previously operated in makeshift huts and market stalls, with some doing so illegally.

Explaining what had happened, Zulum said: “In the course of the reconstruction exercise, the committee recommended the remodelling of the market because it was found that the congestion in the market had contributed to the escalation of the fire incident.”

“As a result of the remodelling, over 2,000 traders who either operated at a temporary site [or] built shops illegally on waterways were unable to get shops in the market,” he stated. The government would, however, support over 185 of them with one million naira apiece; 2,000 others will receive N300,000 each, and another 640 will receive N100,000 each.”

The governor pledged that the 2,825 traders will be given space in a new market in Maiduguri.