The Lawmaker Representing Nnewi North in Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon. Nonso Smart Okafor has called for the upgrade of Nkwo Nnewi to International Market Standard.
According to the Lawmaker, despite generating a huge revenue to both traders and government, the market is currently suffering obvious infrastructural decay, which if not addressed, will stunt the further development of the market.
Nonso Okafor who made the call while moving a motion on the need for the upgrade of the market on the floor of Anambra State House of Assembly said that with an estimated annual turnover of $1billion, (about N360billion), Nkwo Nnewi is not only a strategic market in Anambra State but also in Nigeria, noting that the market has propelled the development of the local economy and the present mini industrial economy in Nnewi.
He noted that Nkwo Nnewi Market which is made up of about nine (9) different markets which include, New Motorcycle Spare Parts, New Motor Spare Parts, Nwagbara Market (Mgbuka Machine Parts), Building Material Market, Electrical/Electronics Market, Nnewi General Market (Ime Afia), Generator Parts Market, Timber Dealers Market (Ọgbọ Osisi) and Fairly used Motors Spare Parts Market, has lost every touch of modernity, innovation and may not grow beyond what it is today.
Nkwo Nnewi traders groan over terrible roads
While presenting the motion, the young lawmaker revealed that that apart from being jam-packed in a small enclave, traders and customers are finding it difficult to easily access the market due to the astronomical growth of business activities in the market and environs.
He highlighted that most of the roads in the market especially the access and link roads that make the movement of goods and people easy within the market is in bad shape, saying that the market is also lacking water supply, parking lots, stable electricity, equipped fire station, warehouses, police post, clinic, administration block, streetlights, public toilet system and security gadgets.
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He argued that the infrastructural decay of the market is a serious challenge to the realization of the full potential of the market, noting that traders in the market are losing their customers to other markets, thereby making it difficult for the realisation of more Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from the market.
He urged the Governor to upgrade Nkwo Nnewi Market by building the needed infrastructure and also discuss with the operators on the need for the development of a Master Plan for the market.