The Nasarawa State Government said on Friday that it would move traders on Karu/Abuja express high way to Karu international market to reduce traffic congestion in the area and restore sanity.

The state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Alhaji Tanko Zubairu, disclosed this in Karu at a meeting with Traders and Marketers Association of Karu Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government has built over 5,000 lock up shops and open stores to be allocated to traders, to boost the socio-economic activities and improve the standard of living of the people.

The commissioner said the relocation was aimed at reducing traffic congestion on the expressway and make the Karu International Market functional in the interest of development.

Zubairu said the move was an aggressive step by government to ensure the market contributed substantially to the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

He said that the meeting was to discuss ways for a successful take off of Karu International Market, to boost business activities in the area and the state at large.

“We are all aware that Gov. Tanko Al-Makura is doing his best in promoting commerce and industry in the state.

“That is why the state government is seeing to it that the Lafia, Akwanga, Keffi Modern Markets and Karu International Market are put to effective use.

“The intention of the government is to fight unemployment, reduce youth restiveness, raise the revenue base of the individual and that of the government,” he said.

He assured the traders that the ministry would carry them along in all affairs of the market, to identify genuine traders for shops allocation.

The commissioner commended Gov. Al-Makura for his business-oriented mind and called on the people to support his administration to enable him to deliver more dividends of democracy to them.

Mr Sunday Danladi, Chairman of the Association, said that wrong allocation and high cost of shops were some reasons traders failed to move to the market.

He expressed their readiness to cooperate with the ministry to ensure smooth take off of the market for the overall development of the state. (NAN)

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