The Kogi State Government says the Lokoja Ultra Modern Market, now under construction, will become one of the country’s largest and most modern trading hubs, drawing on the state’s position at the crossroads of Nigeria’s major transport routes.
Built on 25 hectares of land, the market is designed to absorb traders from seven existing markets in Lokoja. State officials say the project will create a more orderly commercial environment, ease traffic congestion, improve safety and support wider economic growth in the capital.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, gave the assessment on Monday during an inspection of the project site. He described the market as a flagship of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration and a central piece of the government’s broader Urban Renewal Agenda, which aims to modernize Lokoja through environmental reforms, infrastructure upgrades and targeted investment.
Fanwo said the plan combines short, medium and long-term measures, working alongside the Ministry of Environment and Ecological Management’s cleanup efforts to position Lokoja as one of Nigeria’s cleanest and most organized state capitals.
According to the commissioner, the existing International Market at Nataco has long outgrown its original design, creating traffic bottlenecks, environmental strain and safety hazards, including road accidents linked to congestion around the site. Officials expect that pressure to ease once traders begin relocating to the new facility next year.
Fanwo pointed to Kogi’s central location — at the intersection of the country’s major roads — as a key advantage that could position the new market as a national commercial hub, drawing traders and investors from every region of Nigeria.
The Ultra Modern Market is planned to include: open trading spaces and lock-up shops, market halls and technology hubs, banking facilities and a clinic, fire and security stations, a food court and modern butchery, state-of-the-art warehouses, as well as ample parking and supporting infrastructure.
Officials say the integrated design is intended to meet international standards, offering a safe and technology-driven environment for commerce while attracting investors, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers from across the country.
The government projects the market will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs, strengthen small and medium-scale enterprises, boost internally generated revenue, and reinforce Kogi’s standing as an investment destination.
Fanwo framed the project, alongside a new airport, as one of the defining legacies of the Ododo administration. He also credited federal economic policies under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with strengthening state finances and enabling large infrastructure investments — remarks that came with an explicit political appeal ahead of the 2027 elections, when he said Kogi voters would back the president in large numbers.
The commissioner said the state government would continue pursuing projects aimed at strengthening the local economy, improving the ease of doing business, and reinforcing Kogi’s role as a gateway linking Nigeria’s regions.
