By joshua 
LOKOJA INTERNATIONAL MARKET: HOW A CLEAN-UP AND SECURITY PLAN ARE CHANGING THE TRADING EXPERIENCE
By Abu Micheal
The atmosphere at Lokoja’s International Market has taken on a different tone in recent weeks, and it’s not by accident. Under the guidance of its Consultant, Comr. Adams Babangida, the market is undergoing a quiet but steady transformation focused on cleanliness, safety, and trader confidence.
Last Wednesday’s temporary closure for a full-scale sanitation exercise offered the clearest picture yet of this shift.
While market closures can disrupt business, traders this time responded with cooperation rather than resistance. Many now see the exercise as a necessary step toward creating a healthier and more organized trading space.
But the sanitation drive is only one part of a broader plan. A few days earlier, the market hosted a delegation of senior state and local officials, including Lokoja LGA Chairman Comr. Abdullahi Adamu, KGIRS Chairman Alhaji Sule Enehi, Hon. Victor Omofaiye, and Auditor General for Local Government Adabenege Fancy.
Because of the outstanding performance of the Market Consultant and his initiative, the Maigari of Lokoja Alhaji Mohammed Gambo, sent a high powered delegation to be part of the Inauguration of the Security Post, described the Consultant as a man who is making Lokoja people proud.
The visit of high personalities was to assess plans for a new modern security post within the market — a project they described as timely and in line with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s agenda for safer commercial spaces.
For Comr. Babangida, the priorities have been clear from the start: protect traders, improve the market environment, and make the facility more reliable for daily commerce. The proposed security post is designed to work alongside existing arrangements, with the goal of reducing theft, improving surveillance, and giving traders greater peace of mind.
What stands out in his approach is the emphasis on practical engagement. Rather than issuing directives from afar, he has been visible on the ground, holding consultations and responding directly to concerns raised by traders. Whether it’s waste management, infrastructure, or security, the focus has been on solutions that traders can see and feel.
In a public sector space where intentions often outweigh results, Babangida’s tenure is being noticed for translating ideas into action.
Traders now speak more openly about improved orderliness, while government officials have acknowledged the alignment between his initiatives and the state’s economic and security objectives.
The International Market is still a work in progress, but the direction is becoming clearer. With consistent attention to hygiene and safety, it is gradually evolving into a model for how public markets can be managed with both structure and responsiveness.
The Consultant has also sent signals. In a short time to come. The inconvenience caused motorists mostly on Market days, he assured will soon be a thing of the past. He said earlier measures seems not to be perfect. Assured of a model in the pipeline that would bring permanent solution and relief.