In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, there are so many markets, but only a few can stand the Garki Model Market in terms of patronage. However, the market recently suffered a set-back when the traders and the other users of the market had to stay away for about three months following its closure as ordered by the FCT Administration citing unbearable sanitary condition.

The Managers of the Market, Abuja Markets Management Limited, (AMML) explained that the sanitary situation of the market got to that poor level due to the uncooperative nature of the traders, that for the better part of three years, traders refused to pay service charge in the market. "We had to source fund from elsewhere to run the market until our ability to fund became overstretched", explained Innocent Amaechina, Corporate Affairs Manager, Abuja Markets Management Limited.However, the Market Management took advantage of the closure of the market to embark on overall cleansing and overhauling of the facilities and infrastructure in the market. A recent visit to the market showed that there has been a remarkable improvement in certain areas. One of the major complaints of people who patronise the market was the entrance road which became unmotorable during the rainy season. But now, the situation has changed as the road has been graded and asphalted.

Due to the filthy nature of its environment, it was common in the past few months to walk over heaps of refuse with their oozing smells all around the market.But this reporter noticed the presence of newly constructed waste dumps and a compacting truck for waste evacuation which the market management claimed was dedicated to Garki Model Market.Added to the filthy condition of the market then was the near non-existence of drainage system in the market. The location of the market was such that it collects a lot of storm water from the neighbourhood without any proper channeling, leaving the surge to eat up the surfaces of the market through its natural movement. This is now history as the newly constructed drainage system now stares at every visitor to the market.Similarly, a perimeter fence which hitherto existed on one half of the market is now being constructed.Most importantly is the transformation experienced in the area of the market called the 'Fadama'. This used to accommodate petty traders dealing on all kinds of wares ranging from second-hand clothes (Okrika), poultry to food items. It was in deed difficult to imagine that that section of the market used to be the same old marshy, stinking, reptile-infested, unsafe and generally unorganised section we used to know.

The water-logged section has been cleared of its illegal and unsafe structures, concreted and replaced with modern shopping structures which the market management boast is the first of its kind in Abuja, nay Nigeria with its over 2000 spaces to cater for petty traders.A lot of other improvements were noticed, just as it was also noticed that, in the face of these entire changes, one thing that has conspicuously remained the same is the parking lot. One would expect that it would have been given a face lift just like other sectors. Responding, Mr. Amaechina said: "the parking lot will definitely be asphalted in no time; the delay was majorly as a result of the work on the new informal sector which made us to organise the petty traders in a section of the market which ought be for parking. So when they are checked into their new place, then work can commence at the car park while parking could be done in the area to be vacated by the petty traders, that way we hope to have an uninterrupted parking system for the teaming visitors to the market. Also aimed at easing off traffic congestion in and around the market, machinery has been put on motion to create an exit route to augment the existing one which presently serve for both entrance into and exit from the market", he continued.

The company's spokesperson went further to explain that the standard public conveniences, police outpost and Gate house have also been constructed within this period of repair adding that the overall scenic view of the market has been enhanced to a very large extent."Before now, it was like a free-for-all, everything goes, but now, even on the placement of traders' advert board, a cursory look around will tell a first timer that there is an effort at organising, streamlining and regulating that sector to the purpose of improving on the overall ambience of the market environment", Amaechina said. Speaking on how the company was able to achieve this feat, Mr. Amaechina said, "we are happy we have got this far; this is something that would have been done three years ago, but it is better late than never. I think we were able to make it due to the determination of AMML management to free the bottled-up potentials of the market -a cause that was very well supported by the FCT Administration and its relevant agencies. We in Abuja Markets Management are out to add value to all the markets under our management and I can bet you even while we are still on, the value of shops in the market have tripled as a result of this rehabilitation. There is greater patronage to the traders, and with a sustained cooperation from the traders, the sky is the limit.