The Sokoto State Government has resolved to insure market structures in the state following fire incidents that destroyed goods worth millions of Naira at both Sokoto Central and Kara markets.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner of Commerce and Industry, Bashir Gidado Jegawa while speaking to Daily Trust on the devastating fire outbreaks in the markets.
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He said that, as part of measures to forestall further outbreaks, the state government had resolved to insure market structures and encourage traders to insure their goods.
“The Sokoto central market has not been operating optimally over the years because of the model they operate and we cannot afford the state to be left behind,” he said.
According to him, the market would be remodelled with concrete shops, smoke dictators and fire alarms.
He added that all the access routes would be restored and hydrants rehabilitated.
He said that the state government had set up a committee to distribute the sum of one billion Naira in form of support to the affected marketers at Central Market.
The Commissioner also revealed that 6,500 businessmen and women benefited from the one billion naira soft loan provided by the state government.
“His Excellency, also realized that a greater chunk of our businessmen and women are not engaged in production but rather on buying and selling.
“So, another one billion Naira was provided as soft loan to them and 30 per cent of the beneficiaries were women, 20 per cent youth and the remaining were other business communities,” he said.
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