Umuahia main market has been there for as long as one could remember. For more than seven decades, the market was at the centre of the state capital, Umuahia.

Even the colonial masters’ attempt to relocate the market in 1953 met a stiff resistance from traders and indigenes. On that note, successive governments even before and after the creation of Abia State from Old Imo State in 1991 avoided the idea of relocating the market in order not to incur the wrath of the few people who had been benefiting from the unenviable status of it being at the centre of the state capital.

With the creation of Abia in 1991 and Umuahia becoming the capital, human activities and population grew astronomically, just as business activities exploded in the market and its environs. Either as a resident or a visitor to Umuahia, you can easily walk into the market and buy whatever you want. Sometime the place could be a meeting point to share ideas and merriment of sort. I experienced, appreciated and enjoyed the situation then as a student and undergraduate, even though the market was obviously wrongly located.

When sometime in 2006, the Abia State governor, Theodore Orji, came up with his government’s plan to relocate the market to a more suitable place, I was among those who hastily and harshly criticised the idea. My criticism arose from the fact we have heard much of such talk in the past without any concrete action. Again how sincere and transparent will the government be in relocating the market, when and where? How better, accessible and suitable will the new site be and how soon will it be ready before government demolishes the old market and leave the traders and residents stranded? My fear and that of other critics of the government’s move were genuine because experience, they say, is the best teacher.

My disposition to the whole thing changed upon my return to the country sometime ago and I discovered that the state government has relocated the notorious and dirty timber market to a well-developed and secured area with all essential facilities, asphalted link roads and others. Also relocated was the Motor Spare Parts Market and Mechanics Workshop from the state capital to Ohiya along the Enugu/ Port Harcourt Expressway. With this development, I began to see the possible relocation of Umuahia Main Market as promised by the state government some years ago.

Back in Nigeria last month, I was greeted by a pleasant surprise. While being driven from the Owerri airport to Umuahia, I could see on getting to Mission Hill Road just close to the roundabout from where one can see the Umuahia main market, an empty vast land undergoing fencing. It was indeed a breath of fresh air as I was already thinking how we would beat the traffic jam usually caused by activities in the market to get to my village in time. On enquiry, the taxi driver told me that the market had been relocated to Ibeku Ubani since the end of last year.

After some days in the village, I took time to visit the new Ubani Ibeku ultra-modern market which is just ten minute drive from Umuahia, the state capital. On my way, I discovered that the single lane Umuahia/ Uzoakoli/ Ohafia road leading to the market was already being dualised by the government. Apart from the public buses and tricycles that convey people from different places to the market, there were fully-airconditioned coaster buses provided by the state government to ease transportation to the market at subsidized rate.

On getting to the market, it was bustling as usual with activities and I also did not fail to notice the well-planned layout befitting a modern market. From the entrance to the exit was a dual carriage asphalted road and other link roads that made movement of goods and people easy within the market. This is unlike what was obtainable in old Umuahia market that was governed by chaos. Already completed and occupied were about 4500 shops, while work is ongoing on the others. There are also essential amenities and facilities there like modern public toilet system, a police station, fire service, banks, street lightings, security, water, schools and hospitals. For easy trading, the market was segmented into the products/ services for the convenience of traders and dealers in sundry goods.

Also not too far from the market’s vicinity was a 5000-housing estate called Traders Estate. One of the traders informed me that it was built by the state government for traders interested in living close to the market for business exigencies. The trader disclosed that the market and the estate are already attracting rapid developments from the Umuahia/ Uzoakoli/ Ohafia to the market and beyond, stressing that there is already a rush for property along the axis.

On how the market and housing estate were quickly actualized, I was informed that on discovering that those who initially showed interest to invest in building the market were fraudulent, the state government took it upon itself to embark on the project.

I learnt that the cost of each shop is not less than N2 million, but the state government gave it out to the traders at the sum N400,000 and N500, 000. Traders who were relocating from the Umuahia Main Market were asked to pay an initial N20,000 acceptance fee and a deposit of N100,000, while  the remaining N300,000 would be spread across four years to enable the traders meet up. Non-shop owners who showed interest were asked to pay N400, 000 spread over four years and the deposit of N100, 000 and N20, 000 as acceptance fees.

Truly the market was a vision well conceived and executed. It is truly a modern market whose importance in the economic growth of the state and the country at large lies in the days ahead. Onitsha main market may be the biggest market in West Africa, but it lacks modernity, innovation and may not grow beyond what it is today. Ubani Ibeku International Market, from every indication, has the potentials of overtaking Onitsha Main Market in the nearest future.

Mr. By Clement Omeneogo, a systems anayst, wrote from Toronto, Canada.