At 9th Mile, close to Enugu, on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, the Enugu government announces that construction of a new International Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Market has started.
This was revealed on Monday during a meeting with the leadership of the Enugu Motor Spare Parts and Allied Trades Association in Coal Camp, Enugu, by Sam Ogbu-Nwobodo, managing director of the Enugu State Investment Development Authority.
According to Mr. Ogbu-Nwobodo, the market delivered on Governor Peter Mbah’s political pledge to provide a top-tier market for the organization. He said that no business could prosper in such an unfavorable climate and that the traders’ conditions at Coal Camp were pitiful and vulnerable to natural disasters.
“They requested the State Government to give them a more accommodating environment that could house them all during the previous campaign time.
As we speak, work has started on the site today. Mr. Ogbu-Nwobodo stated, “The governor is keeping his word to the traders and is unrelenting in his efforts to ensure the expansion of their enterprises.
“It will be an ecosystem that supports contemporary businesses, commercial, and light industrial activities,” he continued. Modern stores and warehouses, police stations, fire safety buildings, convenience stores, banks, parks, schools, medical facilities, union centers, and other amenities that support corporate expansion will all be present.
Mr. Ogbu-Nwobodo described 9th Mile as a significant business hub in the state and claimed that the location was a strategic choice. Additionally, he said that placing the market there would encourage more development in the surrounding area.
He maintained that traders from the North, Ebonyi and Cross River, Central Africa, and other regions will also have easy access to the market.
He claims that the construction will relieve traders of the burden of having to navigate the city before exporting or offloading their merchandise.
Mike Nomeh, the association’s president, claimed that earlier state governments did not provide the welfare of traders at Coal Camp the attention it required.
Mr. Nomeh stated that the market’s relocation was long overdue and mentioned that they had unsuccessfully requested in multiple letters from previous administrations to inquire about their well-being.
But he pleaded with the governor to see that the market was built quickly, stating that their current encampment in Coal Camp required compassion.
Benjamin Eze, a line chairman at the market, praised the governor for taking the initiative.
After more than 30 years in Coal Camp, Mr. Eze expressed his want for sufficient housing for every trader, saying that what was taking place looked like a dream to him.
“I am aware that the governor is at capacity. It will be to everyone’s advantage if he keeps up this pace, Mr. Eze said.
