Enugu State government has begun the construction of a new International Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Market.
This came as traders at Coal Camp, Enugu, hailed Governor Peter Mbah for his innovative administration.
The project’s takeoff was disclosed by the managing director of Enugu State Investment Development Authority, Dr Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, during a meeting with the expanded leadership of the Enugu Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Association, Coal Camp, Enugu.
He said the market, sited at 9th Mile, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, is in line with Governor Mbah’s electoral promises to traders at Coal Camp that his administration would build a world-class market for them.
He further regretted that the present condition of the traders at Coal Camp was pathetic and prone to environmental hazards, stating that no business could thrive in such an unconducive environment.
“The present condition of the traders at Coal Camp is nothing to write home about. During the last campaign period, they asked the state government to provide them with a more conducive environment to accommodate them all. Today, as we speak, work has commenced on the site. The governor is fulfilling his promises to the traders, and he is relentlessly making sure that their businesses grow,” he said.
On the key facilities that would be in place, he said, “It is going to be an ecosystem that supports modern businesses and commercial and light industrial activities. There will be facilities like modern shops and warehouses, police posts, fire protection architecture, sufficient conveniences, banks, parks, schools, health facilities, union centres, recreational facilities, and other things that will enable business growth.”
Ogbu-Nwobodo said the choice of 9th Mile was strategic because it is a major business hub in the state, and the building of the market there would give more impetus for further development around the area, adding that it would create easy access for shoppers coming from the Northern States, Ebonyi and Cross River states, Central Africa, and other locations, saving dealers the stress of navigating through the city before offloading or exporting their goods.
“9th Mile is a major business hub in the state, and this will give more impetus for further development around the area. We should equally recall that there is already a free trade zone built by the state in the area. This site will accommodate all the traders and leave more room for expansion in the future,” Ogbu-Nwobodo said.
In his reaction, the president of the Enugu Motor Spare Parts Dealers Association, Chief Mike Nomeh, said that Enugu had had numerous administrations that did not prioritize the welfare of traders at Coal Camp.
